"Feeling cared about is feeling safe, which is a primary human need. I can't do my best work – and I probably don't want to do my best work – if I'm in a protected mode. Probably one of the most important abilities of a manager is the ability to communicate through words and actions that they actually care about their employees."

In this one-on-one conversation between Mike Nash and our colleague, Scott Ummel, this episode delves into the fundamental principles of effective leadership. The duo presents five key attributes of an outstanding boss and shares valuable tips to refine these skills for your own personal growth.

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

In this solo Minisode, Ethan riffs on the concept of authenticity as a manager. What is authenticity, and what is it not? What does it mean to bring your authentic self to work and show up as an authentic leader? Take a listen and pass it along to a manager you know.

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"Managers have more of an influence on peoples' quality of lives than their therapists or spouses. Managers define reality for their employees. Whether you like your job or not, whether you're productive or not, whether you're happy or not -- inside and outside of work -- it often comes down to the manager. It's something to be conscious of."

Eric Girard is the CEO of Girard Training Solutions, where he specializes in the development of new managers, focusing on their successful transition to their new role and on their team management skills. He's also the author of the new book Lead Like a Pro: The Essential Guide for New Managers. In this episode, Eric joins Ethan to discuss the primary strategies for new managers.

Resources:

Michael Bungay Stanier's book The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"What can I learn from this person I'm in conflict with? What might they know that I don't know? What can I learn about myself through this disagreement?"

In this fourth and final installment of our Healthy Conflict Series, Mike and Ethan get into the adaptive skills that come in handy when dealing with conflict in the workplace. Learn about the internal work of healthy disagreement that can make you a better coworker, boss, and human being.

Catch up on the rest of this series:

Conflict Part 1 (Episode #73)

Conflict Part 2 (Episode #74)

Conflict Part 3 (Episode #78)

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"Certainty is the enemy of change."

This episode is all about identifying our unique growth opportunities when it comes to navigating conflict. Ethan and Mike further explore the conflict styles and suggest specific adjustments each style can make to improve their ability to collaborate towards positive results with others.

Show Notes:

- Conflict Part 1 (Episode #73)

- Conflict Part 2 (Episode #74)

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"We as humans don't do a great job of anticipating reward for super long-term goals. We tend to be motivated by the here and now."

Join Ethan for a rather nerdy deep-dive into the topic of motivation. He shares what he's learned about some of the neuroscience of motivation and practical ways to motivate your team and avoid demotivating pitfalls.

Show Notes:

- Huberman Lab Podcast

- Richard Clark study on team and individual motivation (sites Druckman & Bjork)

- The Feedback Fallacy (HBR article)

- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

- Episode #13 – How to Have One-on-One Meetings That Don't Suck

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"When employees feel cared about by their managers, 60% plan to stay at their company for at least three years. 90% are likely to recommend this organization as a great place to work. 94% say they feel personally engaged in their work, that they feel cared about. 94% say that they have wellbeing in their life."

Join Ethan for an episode about six game-changers to get on your management radar that will change the way you show up as a leader. (In a good way.)

Show Notes:

- Episode #1 – Morale: and why can't pay for this stuff

- Episode #11 – The Top 15 Management Skills

- Episode #4 – The Periodic Table of Skills (Adaptive Skills)

- Episode #57 – Psychological Safety

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"When we can receive feedback non-defensively, that's how we keep that channel of communication open, that's what allows you to hear the truth, and that's how you build strong teams."

Join Ethan for a brief episode on how to receive feedback non-defensively and why it is critical for success at work and in life.

Show Notes:

• Episode #6 – The Truth Can Hurt

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

In the second part of our series on healthy conflict, Ethan and Mike examine the different conflict styles. They discuss how each style manifests during a disagreement and the actions of someone who is committed to finding mutually beneficial solutions.

Show Notes:

-Our blog post on conflict styles

Text the word "LEADING" to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting's monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"Conflict" is usually seen as a negative experience. And it often is – we tend not to like being in conflict. Yet, disagreement is key to building high-performing teams. So, how can we learn to embrace disagreement, and navigate it in a way that is healthy and leads to positive outcomes, all while maintaining (and building) strong relationships? It starts with understanding our conflict style. Tune in.

Show Notes:

-Our blog post on conflict styles

-Our episode on psychological safety