ClickCease
Matt Rusten
Why Joy is Vital for Your Leadership and Company

Is joy an underrated asset in your leadership? In our latest article, Matt Rusten explores why joy, much like humor, plays a vital role in building a thriving company culture. From increasing team engagement to fostering resilience, joy can transform workplace dynamics and inspire purpose-driven work. Discover three key ways to cultivate joy in your organization and why it’s essential for leaders who seek both results and fulfillment.

Why Joy is Vital for Your Leadership and Company
Business, Faith, Faith at Work
Convene
Do Not Worry

‘Do not worry.’ We’ve read Matthew 6:25-34 in the Sermon on the Mount, but what does that look like on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis? God knows our every worry, fear, and concern – and He can handle it. Many thanks to Darrell Passwater, Convene Forum Team leader, for his encouragement to think about how our lives might be different by truly living out this scriptural principle.

Do Not Worry
Greg Leith
Who Will Lead Your Firm the Day After the ...

Got a quick minute to chat? I’ve been wanting to share something with you as you lead in the midst of the election cycle in the USA or when your political election takes place in your country. When the dust settles on the election and the new country leader is declared, one thing will still be as true as it is right now. You’ll still be the one leading your firm the day after the election. Your team members will still come to work the day after the winner is declared. They’ll still be looking to you for leadership, for a paycheck, for a sense of community at their workplace.

What do they want most that only you can deliver? It’s meaning. That meaning they’re looking for begins with you and your leadership. To be sure, what Washington DC does actually can impact your business significantly, however, the president of the United States or the leader of any country does not lead your firm. You do. It’s an enterprise entrusted to you to lead as a steward. It’s a place where people look to you for answers, where people want to be part of a team that cares about them and where people want to be valued, appreciated, and loved. The next president of the country will not show up this week at your office to encourage your team, fix a broken piece of equipment, hire the next team member, sell a big account, or cast a bold vision about how your team will reach your goals and impact the culture.

Who Will Lead Your Firm the Day After the Election?
Chip Neidigh
A Safe Place To Fall
A Safe Place To Fall
Dave Ulrich
3 Principles of Hope That Enable Transitions

As we find ourselves mid-October and a blink away from a new calendar year, it is an opportunity to prepare for how we view transitions. Transitions allow for reflection and renewal, for letting go and beginning anew, and for learning from the past and creating the future. Instead of laying out trends for the next year, I would like to comment on a fundamental enabler of any transition: hope. Leaders who want to improve, CEO’s who work toward excellence, HR professionals who aspire to deliver more value, and employees who seek well-being all achieve their transitions by realizing hope.

Hope integrates many of the positive traits that shape transitions for others and matter to me personally: learning, patience, service, faith, humility, optimism, gratitude, and so forth. I send hundreds of formal and informal e-mails every month to invite people to programs, to thank people for attending programs, to check in on those I mentor, and to stay connected to those I care about. I begin almost every one of these notes with “Hope you are well.” Hope is one of my personal desires, tag lines, and biases and an enabler of any transition.

If I could implant one trait in my family, friends, and colleagues who are undergoing continual transition, it would be hope. 

3 Principles of Hope That Enable Transitions

grace

3 Keys to Successfully Pass the Baton

John Smith started a company 30 years ago and during that time it experienced significant growth and enjoyed respect in its industry. Recently John has considered scaling back and enjoying more of the fruits of his labor. He also wants to expand his ministry involvement and have a more meaningful engagement outside his business. The only problem is that John’s assumed successor, his daughter Karen, may not be ready to take over the business. How does John let go and move on with grace while positioning his business to thrive in the future?

Here are three keys necessary to effectively pass the baton to a successor.

  1. Prepare yourself.

“It’s easy to fall in love with the baton of leadership,” says thought leader, Marshall Goldsmith. Business provides people with intangible benefits of challenge, contribution and context or meaning. In addition, there are the tangible benefits of wealth, status, power and perks. Many business owners are stuck because they don’t know how they will get from where they are to a future life of contribution and meaning after departing the company. To make a successful transition, it’s important to build a bridge from one’s current role to a future life.

In order to bridge the gap, John needs to envision a future and develop a plan with key milestones on what it will take to build his future before leaving his company. If not, he may find reasons to stay longer than he should.

Reflection Questions:

What will provide you the challenge, contribution and meaning that you experienced at work? How will you feel about letting go of the status, power and perks you’ve come to enjoy?

  1. Prepare your successor.

  • Evaluate capabilities.

John needs to consider his successor’s strengths and challenges. Often the challenges are behavioral in nature. If these challenges are persistent, it may require an outside coach to work on the behavioral issues.  Two of the biggest behavioral issues most leaders face are communicating effectively and listening to and seeking input from others.

  • Provide development opportunities.

A key for John is to provide opportunities for Karen to lead different departments and key projects in order to round out her skill set. In addition, he needs to provide consistent coaching and feedback. Developing a plan with Karen, with key goals and milestones, would help chart progress. At some point, John may need to consider an outside coach that has the expertise in the areas needed to help Karen.

  • Assess motivation for lasting change.

All of John’s coaching and feedback may be futile if Karen does not see a need for change. Assessing her motivation along the way will help accelerate this process.

Reflection Questions: What opportunities can better prepare my successor to assume leadership? How receptive is my successor to coaching and feedback from others and from me?

  1. Make a graceful exit.

Once Karen has assumed control of the company, it’s time for John to leave. Assuming he’s done the appropriate work up-front to prepare, it’s now time for him to pass the baton and allow Karen to assert her leadership without being under his shadow.

Many family-owned businesses have difficulty passing the baton because they are not intentional about one or more of the three keys to successful transition.

Reflection Question: Do I have the three keys in place to effectively pass the baton, leave with grace and ensure a thriving future for my business?

Written by Kathy Woodliff: Woodliff Global Consulting