Every once in a while we have a type of episode that we call In the Trenches. It’s an episode that interviews someone who is actively working in a project leadership role, allowing us to benefit from the lessons they have been learning over the years.

I’m glad to welcome our guest today, Yasmina Khelifi, from Paris, France. Yasmina has been a leader in the telecom industry for many years and is an active blogger on projectmanagement.com. She has extensive experience working with international teams, providing her unique insights into how culture factors into leading and communicating.

Learn more about Yasmina on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminakhelifi-pmp-telecom/ and on ProjectManagement.com.

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Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Le Baguette by Alexander Naka Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4784-le-baguett License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Let Me Be Free by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/164-let-me-be-free License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

If you are currently in a management role, do you remember what it was like when you first took on that new position? Do you remember what your struggles were?

Janet Polach joins us today to talk about her book The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make: How to Avoid Them and Thrive. Though it’s a book for new managers, my take is that we could all benefit from being reminded about the traps we can easily fall into as we seek to become more effective leaders.

Learn more about Janet and her book at InTheLead.co.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Crime Time by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

You know that the culture of your team and organization is critical to your ability to get work done. But here’s my observation: most books on culture stay too theoretical. They share models for understanding what culture is. They have high-level processes for transforming culture. And despite nodding my head while reading these books, I find they’re often not sufficiently practical. How do we, in practice, develop culture over time?

That’s the focus of Brad Federman’s new book entitled Cultivating Culture: 101 Ways to Foster Engagement in 15 Minutes or Less. Brad joined us way back in episode 36 to talk about engaging our team members and he’s back with a new book to help us develop our team culture.

Learn more about Brad and his book at BradFederman.com.

For more on this topic of culture, check out the following episodes:

• Episode 25 with MIT Fellow Ed Schein
• Episode 251 with former Facebook leader Mike Rognlien
• Episode 252 with Marcus Buckingham

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Funky Corporation by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8072-funky-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We Have Fun by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9161-we-have-fun- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this episode, we’re continuing a series about rehumanizing the workplace. From conversations with so many of you, I know that you desire to lead in a way that builds people up and delivers results. It’s not one or the other--it’s both.

Well, that idea of leading with empathy while delivering results is the premise of a new book by Donato Tramuto entitled The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results.

In this episode, Donato will talk about what compassionate leadership means--and what it doesn’t mean. He’ll talk about how empathy is part of the equation--but not enough. He’ll talk about the role trust has in compassionate leadership--and how we can take practical steps to increase trust with those we lead. Donato will talk about why he doesn’t particularly like the term feedback, but also how we can help someone improve their performance in a compassionate way. Throughout it all, you'll get to know a genuinely interesting person--someone who is making this world better through his focus on compassionate leadership.

Learn more about Donato and his book at DonatoTramuto.com.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Life of a Dog by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5130-life-of-a-dog License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Switch by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/489-switch License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Don Quixote - Act I finale (Marianela Nuñez and Carlos Acosta, The Royal Ballet) on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=5fKxzQ8ARTQ

One of my least favorite phrases over the last couple of years is the term Social distancing. I understand the idea and I worked to be diligent about keeping others safe. But that’s physical distancing--and that had its place. Social distancing, on the other hand, has been arguably devastating.

My guest today says that, without even realizing it, we are subtly turning our backs on humanity every day. Steven Van Cohen joins us today to talk about his new book entitled Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All In.

It’s a book about the crisis of loneliness and in today’s discussion, Steven talks about the difference between loneliness and solitude. He shares some of the biggest contributors to modern-day loneliness and how we, as leaders, can strive to foster more belonging on our teams. Steven includes ways to help us more easily spot lonely workers and invest in connection. It's a conversation I can't wait to share with you.

Learn more about Steven, his co-author, and their book at LessLonely.com.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Helium Is In High Demand by Tim Kulig Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9168-helium-is-in-high-demand License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Long Way by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8245-long-way License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby (From “Yellow Submarine”) on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y

For years I’ve been telling coaching clients that the dirty little secret of business is that everything comes down to relationships. I know: It’s not dirty. It’s certainly not little. And I suppose it’s not a secret--you know relationships are important. But the statistics about relationships are not encouraging and it’s not just because of social distancing during COVID.

Maybe it’s just that we’re busy. Or maybe it’s that what we think we know about relationships is wrong.

Eric Barker joins us again, this time to talk about his new book entitled Plays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong.

In this episode, Eric talks about why the fundamental core of relationships is the stories we tell ourselves. He explains why we stink at reading people--despite thinking we’re awesome at it. Before we’re done with this episode, you’ll know what costly signals are and why it’s important to know about Negative Sentiment Override. Eric will even share some insights on conflict, that can be applied in love relationships as well as at work.

Learn more about Eric and his book at https://bakadesuyo.com/.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

BusmansHoliday by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7398-busmansholiday License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Love by Ketsa Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7581-love License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Friendship Scenes from Movies on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=b4ld-p0jSvI

Fear is something that can impact us as individuals for sure, and it spreads to teams and organizations. In this episode, we’re going to take this topic of fear head-on to help empower us as leaders to deal with it.

My guest today is Mark Minukas, co-author of a book entitled Unfear: Transform Your Organization to Create Breakthrough Performance and Employee Well-Being.

In this episode, Mark talks about what unfear means--and doesn’t mean. He shares some of the less effective approaches we might be tempted to take when it comes to fear—and why they don’t work. Mark explains why the story we create about fear matters more than the fear itself. And he gives us some ideas on how we can start dealing better with fear ourselves so we can start to help our team as well. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you.

Learn more about Mark and his book at UnfearBook.com.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Romantic Contemplative Nature by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8033-romantic-contemplative-nature License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Everybody Up by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9244-everybody-up License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

FDR Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself 1933 Inaugural Address on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=nHFTtz3uucY

A couple of years after COVID first hit, I can think of so many examples of how we’re becoming less human at work. It’s not just due to automation or outsourcing or remote work. Whether it’s because of social media, political polarization, or a host of other factors, I feel like there’s increasing pressure to not speak up. To not be yourself. To blend in. To not rock the boat. In a way, to be less human.

I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Rosie Ward, co-author of a book entitled ReHumanizing the Workplace. In this episode, Rosie talks about how the disruptions we’re experiencing today don’t just go away once COVID is a distant memory. She talks about authenticity and why it’s critically important to humanizing the workplace, yet why it’s a struggle for us. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you.

Learn more about Dr. Rosie Ward and her book at DrRosieWard.com/About.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Boost My Business by Horst Hoffmann Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9170-boost-my-business License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Crime Time by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

HAL 9000s interview on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=BDha7nj4s10

One of the biggest challenges we face in day-to-day living is staying focused. There are so many things vying for our attention. In fact, right now, even as you’re listening to this episode, you’re probably doing something else, right? Like driving, working out, going for a walk, maybe even going through email.

To help fight back against those challenges, I’m excited to introduce you to Erik Qualman, author of a book entitled The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less.

Learn more about Erik and his book at Equalman.com/The-Focus-Project/.

For more content on this topic, check out:

• Episode 242 with James Clear about his book Atomic Habits
• Episode 309 with Ashley Whilans about her book Time Smart
• Episode 140 with Cal Newport about his book Deep Work

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

We Have Fun by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9161-we-have-fun- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Energetic Upbeat by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It is likely not a new idea to you that there are so many benefits to our projects and our teams when we foster a culture of psychological safety. The idea of psychological safety is straightforward. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Because of that, I’m always on the lookout for resources that can help us make progress in developing trusting relationships with teams and organizations.

In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to LaTonya Wilkins, author of a book entitled Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You.

In this episode, LaTonya will talk about her notion of a below-the-surface leader and how that’s different from being a surface leader. She’ll talk about the Terrible Three and how they can get in the way of us seeking to be a below-the-surface leader. Before we’re done today, you’ll understand how bridging and micro-habits can help us on this journey. And LaTonya will share some ideas about how to be a below-the-surface leader when you’re working in a culture that is far more comfortable at the surface level.

Learn more about LaTonya and her book at LaTonyaWilkins.com.

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Leadership

Urban Beauty by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8439-urban-beauty- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Another Good Day by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8397-another-good-day- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license