Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. – Buddha

Living in a generation of constant connection and exposure has both great positives and great negatives. One area that it has impeded on immensely in the world of leadership is criticism and feedback. The game has changed for many leaders. No longer does someone have to write into the local newspaper to express their opinion. If you spend any time at all on the internet you know that with a click of a mouse you are able to share your thoughts on projects, people and anything else you may find. How do we as leaders manage this? Differentiate between criticism and feedback? Respond?

On today’s Always Forward Leadership Podcast Tim and I tackle those very questions. Listen now!

Always Forward

Ron

Question: Is feedback welcomed in your organizational culture? If not, how can you begin to implement it?

There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience. – Alexander Gregg

Today’s Always Forward Leadership Podcast tackles the one thing that 74% of Americans have an anxiety of: public speaking. The tables are turned and I have the opportunity to pick Tim’s brain on the art of public speaking in our conversation.

Tim shares his expertise of the platform. From the goal of communicating to the prepping process to knowing the audience, Tim covers it all. Tim does not take public speaking lightly; he has a deep reverence for the microphone and handles each opportunity seriously. Whether you are preparing for a public speaking engagement or just want to learn how to better lead your team meetings, this podcast is for you.

Always Forward

Ron

Question: What area are you going to work on to better your public speaking?

When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute. – Simon Sinek

Today, Tim and I talk about breaking out of the slump of your work routine and beating disengagement in the workplace, a problem 70% of U.S. workers face according to the State of the American Workplace report by Gallup. As leaders, we assume the role to help our team find their passion and empower them to work within it. When your team is actively disengaged it is your responsibility as a leader to build a better culture, no one else in the organization carries that power and opportunity.

However, leaders are not immune to this feeling; I have found that when leaders find themselves in a state of disengagement it tends to be because they are too far from their passion and purpose in the organization. When you find yourself in this position, you have to commit to reconnecting with the why behind your work. Get back to the root of what caused you great passion in the beginning and reengage your efforts. Scott Harrison exemplifies this greatly in his work with Charity Water. Listen in now as we discover different ways of handling workplace disengagement at all levels.

Always Forward

Ron

Question: What are ways you can help your team become reengaged in the work they are doing?

Fools are fatal to the future – Ron Kitchens

The days of sitting on a board for merely oversite are well over. No longer can you pound the table to get things done with your board of directors. In a perfect world, board meetings would be held at large roundtables to remind attendees that they are not adversaries but partners in the success of the organization. The topic of board of directors can seem daunting for many leaders but on today’s Always Forward Leadership podcast Tim and I dive into deep discussion on how to better manage and work alongside a board of directors. Topics that are covered include:

* Expectations of board members

* Whether or not you are a fit – what four questions you need to ask yourself before joining a board.

* The board’s expectations of the point leader of an organization

* Creating an environment where people WANT to be at the table

* Board engagement strategies

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How can you better interact with your board of directors?

 The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. – Stephen Covey

Thank you for joining us for the Always Forward Leadership Podcast! Today, Tim and I talk about focus and how we can achieve a clear core in both work and our personal lives.  In a world where we are constantly inundated with data and information, we as leaders must ascertain what is important and focus in on those indispensable parts of our work.

In the workplace, it is clear that financial budgets must be managed but as leaders we somehow find ourselves in a place where we are not balancing our “life account” and how and where our resources are being expended. Tune in as we discover ways to better focus on engaging our time and resources in a world where it is effortless to be pulled in a million directions.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How can you better manage your “life account”?

 

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run. – Kenny Rogers

The topic of discussion on today’s Always Forward Leadership Podcast is something that almost every leader either has encountered or will encounter at some point in their careers – and that is knowing when it is time to move on from a current position or organization, but even more importantly, leaving well when the time comes.

People often think of leaving or quitting as something negative, but most leaders have a genuinely good reason: they want more impact, need a challenge, don’t love their boss, or feel they are lacking opportunity to grow. Whatever the reason may be, I want to encourage you today to leave well. Be open and honest with your current employer and leader. And remember – you may need a place to come back to at some point in your career.

When someone on the team leaves, it can be hard on everyone. In some cases, it may feel like someone is leaving a family. Tim and I also talk about how to be supportive, maintain great relationships and avoid burning bridges.

Whether you’re considering a change in career, or you love the work you’re doing, I hope you enjoy today’s leadership conversation.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: Are you considering a career change? How are you positioning yourself to leave well whether it’s next week or 10 years from now?

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe

Welcome to the Always Forward Leadership Podcast. Last week, we talked about knowing when it’s time to move on. Today, we’re talking about starting – what to do when you want to launch something new.

In today’s conversation, I share a personal story of how we started Catalyst University – our annual leadership event – at Southwest Michigan First so you can see a real life illustration from my own experience of what it looks like to have a dream and then make it a reality. (By the way, it’s not too early to register for your tickets to Catalyst University on January 26, 2017 at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo!)

Some of the advice Tim and I share includes:

* Start small and grow smart for long-term success. There are very few overnight successes.

* Do your research. It sounds simple, but use Google! Talk to your customers. Don’t allow your idea to be so secretive that you have no research.

* Maintain a healthy sense of fear, but use it for motivation to propel you ahead!

* Take advice from people who love you – and watch out for the critics.

If you have a dream burning inside of you, I hope today’s conversation is just the push you need to start!

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: What were you created to start? What steps have you taken to make your dream a reality?

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo  painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. – Martin Luther King Jr

Thank you for joining us for the Always Forward Leadership Podcast! Today, I have the opportunity to share a conversation with Ken Costa, Ken is founder of God at Work and has over 40 years’ experience in the Financial Sector. Ken authored two books: God at Work: Living Every Day with Purpose and his latest book, Know Your Why: Finding and Fulfilling Your Calling in Life which releases July 19th.

Our conversation centers on the idea of “calling” and what that truly looks like in the workplace. There is no infallible rule, not everyone has the same calling but Ken shares great wisdom on the process of finding and pursuing your calling and what a person who is operating in their calling looks like in the workplace. You do not want to miss this, listen now.

Always Forward.
Ron

Question: What would you do for free if you could afford to? What is that one thing you cannot imagine waking up in the morning and not being able to do?

Thanks so much for listening to the Always Forward Leadership Podcast. Today’s leadership conversation is all about community and innovation – featuring an interview with a great friend of both Tim and I’s in the field of economic development, Gray Swoope.

Gray has more than three decades of experience in economic development. Today, he serves as the president and chief executive officer of VisionFirst Advisors. Previously, Gray served in Florida Governor Rick Scott’s administration as the Secretary of Commerce and the president/CEO of Enterprise Florida.

His management style is described as focused and steadfast when it comes to solving problems and winning competitive projects. You’ll hear in this conversation his commitment to relentless leadership that has resulted in great success for the organizations and communities he has led.

I know you’ll enjoy Gray’s interview with Tim and be inspired to elevate your own leadership.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How has hearing about Gray’s leadership motivated you to take your own leadership to the next level?

Everything rises and falls on leadership. – John Maxwell

Thanks for listening to the Always Forward Leadership Podcast. Each week, Tim and I discuss a topic related to leadership in the hopes that sharing our experiences will help you take your own leadership to the next level.

Today’s conversation is a little different. Instead of a specific or nuanced topic related to leadership, we’re going straight for the core of this podcast and simply discussing leadership – what it means, what it looks like and how to continually develop it.

Some of the point we discuss include:

* Knowing your gifts

* Surrounding yourself with people who make you better

* Lending your leadership “swagger” to help others develop into leaders

* Tuning out the noise and negativity and staying focused on your priorities

Developing my own leadership and the leadership of others is a passion of my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on leadership with you today.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How do you define leadership? What are you doing to growing your leadership and the leadership of those around you each and every day?