What makes you tick? What drives you? In this episode, I unpack the importance of answering these questions. Without purpose, work is drudgery. But with purpose, I explain how even less desirable roles, and responsibility-laden seasons of life, can still be enjoyable and rewarding.

I also leverage insights from the well-known study on the 5 love languages, explaining how to empower yourself and others. Lastly, it’s time for employee reviews to become more about encouragement than critique—let me show you how!

Fieldwork this week: Identify your why—what drives you to do what you do. Honor that calling. Invest in it. Make it as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Figure out your central crew, the most important people in your life, and determine how to encourage them using their preferred love language.

Have a question for me? Email me: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Books I mention in this episode:

Your Money Your Life

Voluntary Simplicity

The 5 Love Languages

The 5 Languages of Appreciation In the Workplace

Good leaders execute on time, but several common pitfalls threaten every leader’s ability to do so. In this episode, I explore those pitfalls, riffing on Rob Denker’s excellent article on the subject.

Additionally, I unpack what it means to “paint the shed,” and why this simple idea can help leaders delegate with excellence. Ultimately, the leader who delegates well is the leader who executes well.

Fieldwork this week: Invite others into your strategy development by laying out the process for an upcoming goal or project. Have delegates brainstorm the “how” for this project, in other words, have them describe the painted shed. How does including them in the development process impact efficiency and unity?

Here’s the Rob Denker article I reference.

Have a question for me? Email me: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Tweetables:

“It’s important that the executive’s preconceived notion doesn’t crowd out the innovation if the result matches the need.” - Shawna Corden

It may not be most people’s first choice for a nickname, but truthfully, I love being “The Jerk Whisperer” and I’ll share why. In my experience, the bluff and bravado of many executives reveals a fear of showing weakness. Top leaders don’t show chinks in their armor, right? Wrong! I’ll explain why owning your Achilles heel will increase retention and boost your confidence simultaneously. 

Strong leaders aren’t flawless, so stop pretending to be. Humility, not hiding, will transform your Achilles heel into a tool of efficiency and relatability.

Fieldwork this week: Ask those closest to you (an admin or spouse): What’s my achilles heel? How do I rationalize or defend it at the expense of those around me? Take a deep breath, listen closely to their answers, then come up with tangible steps to own and improve your weak areas.

Have a question for me? Email me: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Tweetables:

“Every brilliant leader has an achilles heel.” - Shawna Corden

Today I explain why alignment—sharing a common goal or vision— is crucial to the success of any team. Alignment brings clarity, helping people connect their daily work to the overarching vision.

Experiencing conflict on your team? Many times this stems from unmet expectations, misunderstanding, or unspoken reservations. I explain how to identify what’s blocking alignment, how to dialogue (not debate) with your team, and how to preemptively prepare for these conversations before they happen. 

Have a question for me? Email me: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Tweetables:

“Alignment comes from clarity. It’s when people can connect the dots from what they’re doing on a daily basis and how it contributes to vision.” - Shawna Corden

Chief Learning Officer Magazine identified self-awareness as the #1 most important capability for emerging leaders. So in this episode, I explain a tool developed by Marshall Goldsmith called “feedforward.” Unlike feedback, which leaves people feeling helpless to amend past blunders, feedforward helps develop a person for future success.

I describe how feedforward improves relationships within a team, paints a clearer picture of a leader’s expectations, and increases overall efficiency in the workplace.

Fieldwork this week: Identify the most important people in your professional and personal life, and ask them: What is one thing I can do to improve my relationship with you? Seek to implement a tangible change based on their responses.

Have a question for me? Email me: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Tweetables:

“Self-awareness is all about intention vs. impact.” — Shawna Corden

This episode is all about vision—how to identify and present it. When it comes to articulating a clear vision, it’s all about the what, where, and why. I explain why daydreaming is a key component of establishing your vision, quote a little Mark Twain, and point out the power of imagination sessions. 

Stumped on your vision? Articulate what you don’t want. This helps you crystalize your goals. Dealing with naysayers? Find out how to turn the biggest skeptic on your team into your greatest asset!

Fieldwork for the week: Give yourself a reasonable goal in the near future. Imagine all the possibilities and desires for that event. Then apply the prospective hindsight (or pre-mortem) technique by identifying all the risks and addressing them. 

Have a question? Send me an email: [email protected]

My mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on my website: shawnacorden.com

Here’s a link to Scaling Up Excellence, the book I mention.

Tweetables:

“Big visions that require great effort are the ones that draw us forward.” - Shawna Corden

In this episode, I unpack the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. Psychological safety means colleagues believe they’re safe to speak up without being punished or humiliated. Creating this healthy work environment starts with leaders who share their own challenges, model vulnerability, and listen well. I end with an exercise to try this week 一 a simple first step toward building a team that’s healthier and happier!

Have a question for Shawna? Email her: [email protected]

Her mission is to make work fun again by building better leaders. Find out more on her website: shawnacorden.com and follow her on social media: @shawnacorden.

Leadership Strategies for High Performing Teams. Each week we’ll tackle the mindsets, strategies and tactics that make employees excited to come to work and do a great job.