Is it really the case that nobody wants to work anymore? Is it really the case that GenZ is lazy?

My advice is instead of looking down your nose and denigrating members of the generations that follow you, lend a hand. Use your gifts to mentor, lift up, and inspire those who are less experienced than you are.

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Working with Intention: Self-reflection and the use of the five whys requires an open mind and a strong ego in order to challenge potential unconscious bias and consider answers that may not be popular or fit neatly into existing narratives. Hence, it's seldom the case that meaningful results come solely from self-reflection exercises. To make more progress, we will need the help of our coaches and mentors.

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I do my best to keep The Saturday Morning Muse out of the political spectrum, but this week I will make an exception. As we march toward election day on November 5, 2024, it’s important that our voices are heard and that we exercise our rights to free speech. This episode is on the longer side of things and should be watched in its entirety. To do otherwise would mean that what I have to say has a high probability of being taken out of context and twisted for political gain.

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The sources of insecurity abound. Jealousy, unresolved failure, challenging relationships, lack of skill/education, poor planning, bullying, institutionalized bias, and the absence of a sense of belonging are but a few. To punch the point regarding the fluid nature of insecurity, just spend a little time with the preceding list and explore how easy it is to find examples where these issues apply both at home and at the office.

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A business is a collection of written and unwritten contracts with and between employees, vendors, governmental agencies, and customers. A high functioning business is one that takes those contracts seriously and establishes clear and concise rules of engagement along its vectors of interaction both internally and externally. To connect this back to previous conversations, a high functioning business builds and installs a management operating system that’s rooted in a foundation of continuous improvement and organizational health. Guardrails, systems, and processes are established and continually refined/reinforced to allow for trust to flourish.

Everyone wins when “my word is my bond” becomes woven into the fabric of your organizational culture. Accountability and trust simultaneously improve as the nooks and crannies to hide half-truths, speculation, and agendas that run counter to the company North Star become fewer and farther between.

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How can we reduce political polarization? I fear that we are becoming anesthetized to what would be considered vicious, uncivil, unacceptable, and unproductive discourse to a prudent, independent observer.

One of the unpleasant truths of leadership is that the people who populate your organization (at all levels) are constantly trying to divine your position on myriad topics - everything from purpose and vision to the stack ranking of current-period priorities. Like it or not, as a leader, you are a significant topic of conversation and your position on issues matters.

The less visible you are, the more active the water-cooler will be. Infrequent communication from the top provides more oxygen for conspiracy theories and rumors to thrive. Conspiracy theories and rumors breed significant emotional waste that can negatively impact morale, engagement, and productivity.

The starting point for the journey to change your culture takes real courage and is an application of courage that doesn’t get nearly enough airplay. You see, the easy leadership road that leads to mediocrity is to hire people that look and talk like you and ensure that you remain the smartest person in the room. The more difficult, but more rewarding path is to find the courage to hire people who have the potential to surpass you, who think differently than you do, and who are willing and able to challenge you. 

By definition, when someone is listening, someone else is speaking - either verbally, through the written word, or both. To ensure that the conversation isn’t encumbered by unnecessary tension or spin, help your colleagues find their voice. How? It’s important to lead by example and the best way to do this is to shed your emotional suit of armor. Let your colleagues see that you’re human by being constructively vulnerable. Tell a story about how terrified you were the first time you spoke to the CEO of the business and how you navigated the accompanying anxiety. Hopefully, you can share an experience where a boss from your past showed compassion and helped you overcome your fears.

I believe in bringing more of one's “whole or best self” to work. I believe that a diversity of voices and lived experiences leads to a richer tapestry of potential solutions to business challenges and ultimately, better outcomes. Conversely, I believe that heavy conformance to preconceived norms and blindly following overpowering voices stifles creativity and leads to the adoption of a fixed, unyielding mindset.