October 2023 Leader Letter
Fast Leadership Passport
Get valuable insight gleaned from inspirational speakers at the 2023 International Convention.
Wise leaders know they can't sprint through effective skills, but those with experience can quickly swim with good advice from respected colleagues. The 2023 International Convention in The Bahamas was flowing with waves of leadership inspiration, found in informative sessions and exciting highlights that are now available On Demand. Here is a quick passport to some of the gems found on that journey:
Recognize that people matter. In leadership, as you move forward and grow through challenges, it is easy to dismiss the human side; most times, interactions are transactional, not transformational, observes Yolett McPhee-McCuin, affectionately known as "Coach Yo," a transformational leader, women's basketball coach, founder of a non-profit organization, and the 2023 Golden Gavel Honoree. She suggests that leaders who are most impactful, balance the two. She challenges you to value every human you encounter, no matter the level of leadership.
Give yourself permission to be disruptive. You must hone your voice so every time you open your mouth, you feel confident about what's coming out. You must train your authenticity and share your war stories. Lisa Nichols, a keynote speaker, media personality, and corporate CEO, says she “stopped by” to ask true leaders, “Are you willing to risk it all to gain it all?” She proposes your light doesn't belong to you; it belongs to those you lead. The mantra she suggests you push yourself forward with: “yes, yes!”
Choose to evolve your leadership. To be authentic in leading others, we must first lead ourselves, said Duquesa Dean, a speaker, coach, trainer, and author. She advised that you should celebrate your current leadership level, then choose how you will evolve and elevate it.
Rely on communication as your foundation. It allows you to have better relationships with everyone, including those who look up to you/those who you can mentor, said Carlos Palacious, an engineer, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and executive. He challenges you to use mentorship and the communication it facilitates to build your own growth as well as the growth of those around you.
Push yourself to go from cautious to courageous. Fostering collaboration and delegation helps many leaders achieve a higher, more courageous leadership level, said Linda Clarke, a real estate manager, TEDx speaker/coach, Toastmasters leader, and long-distance runner. She says the most powerful leaders bravely work through teamwork-organizing and trusting the people they lead.
Aim to get to the “third idea” in conflict resolution. Do you embrace feedback when there is a conflict? This is a great opportunity, according to Simmone L. Bowe, a speaker, trainer, coach, leadership advisor, HR consultant, educator, newspaper columnist, and radio/television host. She believes that feedback is a gift that allows leaders to see their blind spots. When both parties embrace it, there is an added opportunity to create something wonderfully new, she suggests.
Back up your presentations with stellar slides. Leaders often rely on PowerPoint and other visual aids to support their messages. Do your slides enhance or hinder your reputation as a leader? That's the question David Henson, a presentation designer, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and Masterclass instructor, poses. He instructs leaders to think about “decluttering” their slides and using them to tell a story simply, which often means eliminating boring graphs.
It's okay to reinvent yourself. As you move through your career and your leadership, it's not going to be one straight line, but most likely, a twisty path, says Eugenio “Geno” Jaramillo, a construction consultant, keynote speaker, author, and professor. With every opportunity, you take with you experience, knowledge, and networking that you can build upon to improve and reinvent how you lead at the next turn.
Practice being a leader who can speak well spontaneously. To calm nerves beforehand, take deep breaths, making the exhale twice as long as the inhale. Become present-oriented by doing something physical or saying tongue twisters right before speaking. You can't go from silence to brilliance without warming up, offers Matt Abrahams, a presentation designer, University lecturer, keynote speaker, communications consultant, speaking coach, author, and podcast host. Finally, give yourself permission to maximize mediocrity, meaning remember it's not about perfection, it's about connection.
Learn to laugh at yourself. Self-deprecating humor can be a powerful tool for leaders who use it appropriately and timely. But never laugh at the people you're leading nor make fun of what they care about, advises Don Colliver, a teacher, speaker, author, and comedian. By giving your team a wink every now and then, you are showing yourself more humanly, which will connect people to you.
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