Recent Blog Posts
“Growing your character is about having the courage to expand your personal comfort zone within yourself. Staying in our comfort zone where we feel safe, secure, and in control can in fact be the deception of living in self-limiting fear and ego-driven pride. In nearly every aspect of life it takes character for you to be your best self.
Interestingly, when we achieve more in life, it presents us with the opportunity to grow or stay at the edge of our comfort zone. For example, you do well at work and you get a promotion opportunity. Immediately you can experience fear of failure, fear of what others may think of you, questioning whether you can do the job, even feeling you will have to use a fake-it-until-I-make-it strategy. Like it or not, growing character takes courage to face our fears and not mask them with ego-driven pride or hide from them. Developing ourselves means seeing this as the courageous zone – to learn and grow (p. 125-132)."
From: Klemich, S. & Klemich, M. (2020). Above the line: living and leading with heart. New York: Harper Business
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“Honesty – Self-Righteousness + Vulnerability = Authenticity
By noticing our own phony tendencies, challenging ourselves to be honest, being self-aware enough to remove our self-righteousness, and having the courage to be vulnerable – we’re able to truly authentic.
Understanding the Authenticity Equation and practicing it with ourselves, at work, and in life allows us to show up and connect with others in a real way. It’s not easy, and it takes significant self-awareness and courage, but when we do this it’s both liberating for us and inspiring for those around us. At the core, bringing our whole selves to work is based on our ability to be authentic. And, being authentic has a profound impact on how we connect with others and build relationships, as well as how we engage in our work and produce results (p. 72-73).”
Robbins, M. (2018). Bring your whole self to work: how vulnerability unlocks creativity, connection, and performance. Carlsbad, NM: Hay House, Inc.
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“Appreciation is about acknowledging a person’s inherent value. It’s not about recognizing their accomplishments; it’s about appreciating who they are as a human being. In simple terms, recognition is about what we do; appreciation is about who we are. This is important for many reasons, but mainly because even when we have success, individually and collectively, there may be failures and challenges along the way. And even if there aren’t, there may not be tangible results to recognize. If we focus solely on positive outcomes, we miss out on lots of opportunities for connection, support, and appreciation. What most of us truly yearn for at work and in life is to be appreciated for who we are, not just what we do (p. 93-94).”
From: Robbins, M. (2018). Bring your whole self to work: how vulnerability unlocks creativity, connection, and performance. Carlsbad, NM:Hay House, Inc.
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“Time is a language of love. When we take time with someone, it demonstrates that they are important. One of the most valuable resources any of us has is our time. And when we take the time to invest in others, we are showing them that they matter to us. But because time is such a precious commodity, we must be judicious and intentional with it.
I am not talking about wasting time shooting the breeze. Few of us can afford that. I am talking about slowing down enough so that we become sensitive to the opportunities to invest our time wisely in our team members. A word of encouragement spoken at just the right time, when a colleague or direct report is struggling with a difficult task, can be immensely uplifting. Expressing, in the moment, appreciation for an expenditure of discretionary effort can fuel performance (p. 324-325).”
From: Ross, R. (2019). Relationomics: business powered by relationships. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books
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“Technologies will race onward. Robotics will replace human labor, creating even more change in the future of work. Organizations will need to adapt and to create things that have never existed before. When organizations need adaptability and innovation, they also need human ingenuity – the kind of ingenuity that can be crushed by unmet grief or pain at work. In this way, compassion is at the heart of success.
Some organizations succeed because they offer high-touch services that respond to the unpredictable desires and demands of clients. These organizations require the sensitivity and responsiveness of people who can harness empathy and compassion to deliver great service. All organizations can do what they do because they can find and keep people who engage with work. Human-based capabilities require compassion.
More and more organizations strive to work together in ways that are unprecedented, where partnerships can make or break success. These forms of strategic advantage depend on people who can coordinate and collaborate for mutual benefit. People who can compassionately notice and respectfully embrace one another’s states of mind and heart propel or undermine this form of competitive advantage. Compassion is not just a nice-to-have; it is the hidden heart of strategic success (p. 70-71).”
From:Worline, M.C., & Dutton, J.E. (2017). Awakening compassion at work. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
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“There is no better way to initiate or strengthen a relationship of service than to give someone something they value. Ideally, this would be done with no intent other than to serve; it is about establishing a relationship entirely apart from a transaction. Depending on the circumstances, this could range from a sincere compliment, to sharing an idea or information or an appropriate gift.
Such kindness, without any ulterior motive or expectation, can incline people toward trust and engender a desire to reciprocate.
The power of reciprocity can be observed in our daily lives. It’s backed by scientific experimentation and evaluation. It has been validated in study after study. Robert Cialdini’s classic, Influence states: ‘The rule for reciprocation…says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us…The rule possesses awesome strength, often producing a ‘yes’ response to a request that, except for an existing feeling of indebtedness, would surely have been refused.
Simply serving others in the small ways once known as ‘common courtesy’ can set the stage for effective persuasion (p. 249-250).”
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“Growing your character is about having the courage to expand your personal comfort zone within yourself. Staying in our comfort zone where we feel safe, secure, and in control can in fact be the deception of living in self-limiting fear and ego-driven pride. In nearly every aspect of life it takes character for you to be your best self.
Interestingly, when we achieve more in life, it presents us with the opportunity to grow or stay at the edge of our comfort zone. For example, you do well at work and you get a promotion opportunity. Immediately you can experience fear of failure, fear of what others may think of you, questioning whether you can do the job, even feeling you will have to use a fake-it-until-I-make-it strategy. Like it or not, growing character takes courage to face our fears and not mask them with ego-driven pride or hide from them. Developing ourselves means seeing this as the courageous zone – to learn and grow.
1. Be courageous with myself
2. Be courageous in new activities
3. Be courageous with others
4. Practice forgiveness
5. Practice gratitude
6. Practice meditation or prayer (p. 125-132).”
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- "Establishing a Relationship
- Negotiating Expectations of Each Other
- Targeting Needs
- Career Development
- Sustaining the Relationship (p. 129-132)."
From: Tkatchov, O., & Tkatchov, M. (2020). Proactive professional learning: creating conditions for individual and organizational improvement. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
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The Ohio State University Leadership Center is celebrating 30 years of continued education, professional development, and research-based programming.
We hope you are able to join us for a complimentary special event on December 4, 2020 from 9-10:30am EST digitally over Zoom.
We will be hearing from some of our closest friends; President of Youngstown State University and former coach of Ohio State football, Jim Tressel, and Vice President of Agricultural Administration and Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University, Dr. Cathann Kress.
You will not want to miss this scarlet and gray extravaganza!
RSVP: https://cvent.me/rMeGOZ
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"Parents are constantly talking about and strategizing about their kids. Business leaders do the same about their staff. Parenting and team leadership are two of the toughest things you will ever try, and for many of the same reasons.
- Rules without a (proper) relationship leads to rebellion
- There is a difference between power and authority
- Have a few standards, and stick to them
- Be consistent
- Ultra-strict and ultra-lenient parents don't produce the best results
- Praise in writing; rebuke verbally
- Start with people where they are, not where you want them to be
- Set the right tone, and everything will take care of itself (p. 233-234)."
From: Throness, T. (2017). The power of people skills: how to eliminate 90% of your hr problems and dramatically increase team and company morale and performance. Wayne, NJ: Career Press.
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