The Kind Leadership Podcast

Dead or disregarded?

The days of landing a job on a factory line and working until your pension starts seem to be in the past. The "services economy" has created new careers built on switching jobs multiple times. Don't even get us started on the "Great Recession." Oh, and how does the gig economy contribute to job stability?

The truth is, employment stability is the measure we should take. Do we, as individuals, have the skills and a track record that makes us hirable? The demand we create for ourselves will outlast the fleeting stability of a job.

Thinking back to our episode on The Great Resignation ("I Quit"), we consider the pros and cons of Loyalty. The pros, you say, are obvious: strong relationships, deep trust, better communication, authentic personalities... Yes. We agree. But, if we know that we want these traits, why we sometimes dip our toes into the cons of loyalty.

The cons? How about: "yes men," a reluctance to speak truth to power, lack of creativity, selfish behaviors. In short, Darth Vader ran a tight ship with legions of people getting the job done, but I doubt Death Star's culture was flourishing.

So, how do you strike a balance with loyalty?

If you are afraid of professional failure, then you are (essentially) afraid of professional success. As it happens, fear has a seat in many offices, home or other.

But what is it that really scares us? How do we settle that fear?

If it seems like our entire lives are a series of decisions (or indecisions), then you're right. Every day we choose something over something else. While many of those choices are on autopilot, some require deep thought.

While many of us may conjure up reasonable excuses or point to unforeseen collisions in the Universe as clear examples of events that are out of our control (and, hence, not a result of our decisions), we still own the choice that brought us there. It's sticky, isn't it?

Ultimately, the decisions we make reflect our values. So, how do we make better decisions?

It's true. You'd probably know that, but all that time spent splitting your attention between texts, social media, Zoom calls, and driving has dulled your light.

Now what? Slow down and embrace mono-tasking. Doing one thing at a time can help you get more done and maintain your sanity in the process.

Crying is a normal emotional reaction to any number of triggers. A big one can be stress and work can be stressful. You may also bring your personal life to the office or feel humiliated or get bad news. You may also be the person who never cries (and that's ok too, but don't judge those of us who do cry).

Leaders need to offer empathy and kindness when their employees cry. If you've been there, you know how vulnerable that feels.

Today, we talk through techniques for recovering from an emotional moment as well as ways a leader can help their people feel safe and respected.

Rumination is the evil cousin of Reflection and when we spend too much time with that one, we end up throwing stuff off a bridge and knocking over mailboxes. Sure, it may make us feel better for a moment, but rumination can be destructive when we can't stop.

Reflection is our opportunity to be curious about ourselves and how we interact in the world. While it can be uncomfortable at times, growth comes from friction.

How do we get there? Make it a habit. Schedule time on each day to answer a few questions. If you need some inspiration, pull from some of the questions below.

What have been my top 3 highlights of the week and why?

What have been my top 3 challenges and why?

How well have I been focusing this week and why?

What is your top 3 focus for next week and why?

How motivated (how do you feel) have you been on a scale 1-100 the last week and why?

Did I live up to my core values and personal mission today?

Did I be a person others can respect today?

Did I respect my body the way I should today?

Did I make a positive impact on the world today?

Did I perform at my best today?

Did I have negative emotions today? Why?

Did I use my time wisely today?

What does it mean to "think like a scientist?" If you didn't know anything, would you ask questions or do all the talking? Now, can you admit you really don't know as much as you think you do?

Take a joke or tell a joke? Laugh at the world or make the world laugh? Which has more value for business leaders and how does that choice impact your team?

In this episode, we're back to our classic KL format. We discuss how humor can make (or break) your leadership style.

Ida B. Wells was born enslaved and grew up to publicize the prejudice and violence against black people in America. She wrote about lynchings, propaganda against black Americans, and the women's suffrage movement. In 2020, eighty nine years after her death, she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

This episode combines our Black History Month finale with International Women's Day. Dr. Stephanie Shipp, Vice President Global Equality and Strategy for Salesforce, talks about how the courage of Ida B. Wells motivates her today. Dr. Shipp also explains that minorities are still fighting the same battles today.