A connected leader is one who is present, vulnerable, and inspiring, and today's digitally distracted and emotionally burnt out teams are looking to their leaders for purpose, authenticity, and connection. In this episode of The Forward Thinking podcast, host Stephanie Barton, VP Marketing and Communications, FCCS at FCCS welcomes human behavior expert Collete Carlson, for a conversation about leveraging our connections with others for greater success for everyone. On today's podcast she shares a glimpse of her upcoming presentation on The Connected Leader. Colette addresses ways to engage others in the digitally distracted world that we all have to navigate, how to create a stronger team culture, and what to do with the lessons leaders have learned from the pandemic.

Episode Insights Include:

Engaging others in this digitally distracted world

• Engaging others is harder than it has ever been before thanks to constant dings and notifications.
• Leaderships aim to model and empower others to achieve their personal best.
• Alignment of your team and your vision is the core work of any leader.
• Connection begins within- you can only lead effectively when you know your purpose.
• Communication, vision, and emotional intelligence are all critical leadership skills today.
• The 80/20 rule needs to apply to leaders in order to increase connection points and effective communication with your team.
• Leaders need to look for one-on-one opportunities to connect with the team daily.

Creating a better team culture

• In successful cultures, everyone knows and lives the mission.
• Leaders consistently need to walk the talk of that mission and make decisions that align with the mission.
• Keep the team mission simple so every decision made can be measured against it.
• The voice of every team member needs to be valued and an expression of the team culture.

Earning trust and respect from your team

• Trust begets trust — start earning trust by not micromanaging your team.
• Modeling trust and calm in every coaching moment will build trust with your team.
• Be genuine in your concern about how your team members are doing emotionally.
• Recognize the burden you might be putting on your team through your actions.
• A connected leader is one who is authentically aligned through their thoughts, words, and actions.
• Vulnerability can set the stage for earning trust with your team.

Connection techniques that inspire action

• Leaders need to identify each team member's individual strengths and their purpose.
• Express appreciation in genuine and specific ways outside of performance based contributions.
• Build connection rituals by asking the team how they want to connect.
• Communication about what you're doing with the information you're collecting from employees is essential.

Leadership lessons learned from the pandemic

• Biases are often inaccurate and need to be revisited regularly.
• The art of possibility and the rapid rate at which people can pivot and innovate is incredible and powerful.
• Steps toward employee wellness are no longer optional.
• It is necessary for leaders to take care of themselves in addition to their employees.
• Customized leadership happens with leaders 'invite insight'.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Get in touch [email protected]