Libby Gill's Blog, page 2
September 7, 2021
The SPARK Experience: Leadership Through Actions, Commitment, and Will with Angie Morgan
This week, Libby is joined by executive coach Angie Morgan. Angie and her business partner Courtney are executive coaches who work with high-performing leaders to help them achieve next-level results. After their service in the Marine Corps, Angie and Courtney co-created the leadership development firm Lead Star and co-wrote the New York Times best-selling books SPARK and Leading from the Front.
Libby and Angie discuss:
Where Angie learned to lead and the experiences that shaped her as a leaderBeing influential and inspirational Why leaders aren’t born and anyone can develop leadership skillsThe importance of having self-awareness when it comes to leadershipCommon misconceptions surrounding leadershipThe concept of risk taking as a pathway to rewardChoosing your hard and giving gratitudeAngie and her business partner have helped high achievers around the world unlock their true potential through one-on-one coaching, keynote addresses, and corporate leadership programs. Their third book, Bet on You: How Leaders Win with Risk, will be out in spring 2022.
Connect with Angie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-judge-morgan
August 31, 2021
The Whole Person Workplace: how to build a positive, fulfilling, high-performance work culture with Scott Behson
Libby is joined by professor of management and Silberman Global Faculty Fellow at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Scott Behson, Ph.D. Scott is a national expert in work and family issues as well as a best-selling author and professional speaker and is dishing all on how to succeed at work and what it means to be a whole person workplace.
Libby and Scott discuss:
Why work and life aren’t separate but actually intertwinedValuing employees beyond their workThe characteristics of a whole person workplace and how to perpetuate themThe challenges employees face and how to combat challengesHow to be a ‘whole person’ manager or leaderVictim mentality in the workplace and how to step out of itDr. Behson has also published over 30 academic journal articles and book chapters, presented at more than 50 times national and international conferences, and won multiple awards for his teaching, research and service to students. He has written for Harvard Business Review, TIME, Fast Company, Success, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He frequently appears in media, including CBS, MSNBC, NPR, Fox News, and Bloomberg Radio.
Connect with Scott:
https://youtube.com/c/ScottBehson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbehson/
The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home by Scott Behson
The Whole Person Workplace: how build a positive, fulfilling, high-performance work culture with Scott Behson
This week, Libby is joined by Zach Giglio. Zach and his wife Emma have had the fortunate experience of traveling and living around the world and have seen the positive impacts that human connections have made on their lives and the lives of the people around them. Now, with more than 15 years of combined experience, work to facilitate those human connections for organizations through their expertise in communications and marketing through their company, Giglio Communications and Marketing (GCM). Libby and Zach spend their time chatting about creating a brand story and identity that aligns with your values, personality, and more.
They share in:
What it means to “do good and do well”Where Zach sees gaps or disconnects within the communication spaceOrganizational identityBeing thoughtful with how you integrate products and services as a business ownerHow to find your own brand identityThe importance and difference between personal brand identity and business brand identityStorytellingDifference in communication between men and womenAnd much more!For their clients, GCM crafts and executes comprehensive communications and marketing strategies, including crisis communications, manages companies’ social media accounts and runs messaging and business identity workshops.
Connect with Zach:
August 27, 2021
Creating Human Connections Through Communications and Marketing with Zach Giglio
This week, Libby is joined by Zach Giglio. Zach and his wife Emma have had the fortunate experience of traveling and living around the world and have seen the positive impacts that human connections have made on their lives and the lives of the people around them. Now, with more than 15 years of combined experience, work to facilitate those human connections for organizations through their expertise in communications and marketing through their company, Giglio Communications and Marketing (GCM). Libby and Zach spend their time chatting about creating a brand story and identity that aligns with your values, personality, and more.
They share in:
What it means to “do good and do well”Where Zach sees gaps or disconnects within the communication spaceOrganizational identityBeing thoughtful with how you integrate products and services as a business ownerHow to find your own brand identityThe importance and difference between personal brand identity and business brand identityStorytellingDifference in communication between men and womenAnd much more!For their clients, GCM crafts and executes comprehensive communications and marketing strategies, including crisis communications, manages companies’ social media accounts and runs messaging and business identity workshops.
Connect with Zach:
August 17, 2021
Bring the Fun for a More Connected Culture with Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo
This week, Libby is joined by the Authors of Work Made Fun Gets Done!, Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo. Bob Nelson, Ph.D., is the president of Nelson Motivation Inc., the world’s leading authority on employee recognition and engagement and Mario is a principal with Tamayo Group Inc., a no-nonsense consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational performance. Their combined expertise and results have a direct correlation to fun and its important role when it comes to success in the workplace.
With Libby, they discuss:
Why having fun is critical when it comes to successHow to analyze and gauge fun in your own workplaceHow to influence others to get on board with funThe many definitions of funWhy high-performing companies tend to have the most funAnd more!Interested in having fun and getting work done? Email Libby at Libby@LibbyGill.com to learn more about the Writers Sprint Membership!
Connect with Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo:
August 10, 2021
From Scotland Yard to Leadership Coach with David Wheatley
As our careers and lives naturally evolve, we often bring things – habits, lessons, thoughts with us to our present reality. In the case of today’s episode, David Wheatley was able to take the experience from his many years as a former Scotland Yard police officer into his entrepreneurial career as a Leadership Coach. David works with leaders who are engaged in transitions to new roles, new scope or improved results. An expert facilitator, trainer and coach, he has worked for twenty years with government, manufacturing, healthcare, law enforcement, technology and financial institutions, David challenges his mentee’s and clients thinking to push them ahead. He supports organizations through strategic planning and helps them overcome roadblocks using a framework of values-based commitment and stakeholder mapping.
Libby and David discuss:
Why leadership is more so about the choices you make and not so much the titleWhy there’s a lack of trust in leaders today and how to change thatThe necessity of mutual understanding when it comes to good leadershipWhat green path choices areThe self and greater good continuumWhat makes a good team in the working environmentThe importance of understanding what motivates peopleDavid is the co-author of 50 DOs for Everyday Leadership Lessons Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To) and What Great Teams Do Great: How Ordinary People Accomplish the Extraordinary. In his spare time, David plays soccer and the guitar, both badly, in his opinion. He lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his partner Launda and four children nearby. David and
Connect with David:
https://www.facebook.com/humanergy
https://www.linkedin.com/in/humanergy/
What Great Teams Do Great: How Ordinary People Accomplish the Extraordinary by David Wheatley
August 3, 2021
The Leadership-Confidence Connection with Christine Woodward
In this episode, Libby speaks with mission driven consultant and business owner, Christine Woodward. Christine shares all about the importance of confidence when it comes to leadership and how she helps other business owners to grow beyond their comfort zones. Through her consultancy agency, 19th & Co., Christine’s focus is less about services and more about the partnership they deliver to their clients that helps unearth each need and pushes each clients’ dreams over the finish line, over and over again. At 19th & Co their name is their mission – to remind the world that it was the 19th amendment that solidified the efforts of the amazing women who fought for women’s rights. To further her mission of empowering women, her consultancy, 19th&CO launched The JuDi Project – a mission-driven training program for women to level up in their confidence.
Libby and Christine discuss:
Christine’s background in architecture and design and how it plays a role into her coaching and consulting businessWhy women have been set back four years in the workplaceHow she guides her clients and helps them strategize without giving them ‘homework’The importance of finding and amplifying female voicesThe energy that can come from allowing yourself to do something you’ve always wanted to do or dreamed ofKnowing the difference between humility and bragging (and why women need to be humble bragging more often)Redefining and reimagining how women treat each otherConfidence is a skill that each of us deserves and are capable of having. We simply need the tools to acquire it. Christine strikes the perfect balance of design-thinking with action-biased methods from her 15 years in advertising in New York and designing spaces as an architect and interior designer for some of the world’s most luxurious brands. She holds a masters in Architecture, studies in management at Harvard, and is an MBA candidate at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. She lives in California and spends her free time with her husband and two kids.
Connect with Christine:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/19thandco
https://www.instagram.com/19thandco/
Resources Mentioned:
July 27, 2021
Talking About the F Word: Failure with Tiana Sanchez
This week Libby is joined by best-selling author and CEO of organization training and development firm Tiana Sanchez International, Tiana Sanchez. For over 17 years, Tiana has served innovative companies across the U.S. and has delivered keynote presentations to top leaders in corporations and academia. Since 2012, she has presented on topics such as The UPside of Failure and The Future of LeadHERship to diverse audiences across the U.S. with a core message of resiliency and equality.
Tiana and Libby discuss:
Tiana’s early start in business and what she learned from working at Hot Dog on a StickThe intersection of excitement and uncertaintyUnderstanding internal blockers and buildersInaction, distraction, and lack of directionThe beauty in being able to determine your own destiny (and why everyone is capable of doing so)Growth vs. fixed mindsetHow micro learning can lead to macro impactAnd much more!Tiana was a recipient of the 2018 “Woman of Distinction” award for promoting equity for women and girls everywhere. In her spare time, she is the curator and host of a global podcast, Like a REAL Boss, that has inspired thousands of listeners in over 70 countries!
Connect with Tiana:
https://nolimit2yoursuccess.com
Podcast: https://nolimit2yoursuccess.com/podcast/
Books: https://nolimit2yoursuccess.com/books/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likearealbosslady/
July 20, 2021
Are You a Sudden Leader? with Margaret Watts Romney
Libby is joined by presenter, teacher, and group synergy builder Margaret Watts Romney. Margaret has been speaking, navigating communication blocks, and discovering better ways for her clients to lead, connect, and express themselves for 25 years. She is the founder of MasterSpeaker Lab, a group that transforms young workers into well-spoken professionals, and seasoned professionals into inspiring leaders on stage or screen, in groups, or in conversations.
Libby and Margaret discuss:
What a sudden leader isLeadership versus sudden leadershipWhy speakership is leadershipThe five different types of speakersHow to know what kind of speaker you need for an occasionThe power of storytellingHow to get to the next level of leadershipBacked by her work in the Masters in Strategic Communication program at Westminster College and training with the NeuroLeadership Institute, Margaret’s coaching style is defined by her standards of wisdom, generosity, and joy. Her clients value her safe spaces, stimulating questions, firm nudging, and quick laughter. Margaret spends her free time with meditation, podcasts, tea, hiking the paths of Boulder, CO, and reveling in her three grown daughters’ marvelous lives.
Connect with Margaret:
https://margaretwattsromney.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretwattsromney/
July 19, 2021
3 Ways to Effectively Lead and Motivate Your Workforce
Motivation can be a fluctuating feeling that many employees face throughout their careers. This is where good leadership comes in. When employees lose the drive to complete their tasks, the assumption is that they are stuck in a rut or need a better incentive. The process of determining if an employee is properly motivated isn’t black and white. There have been studies that dive deeper into the analysis to determine employee engagement and motivation, compared to employee happiness. Although some employees may be happy working for their employer, they still may not be 100% motivated. Therefore, companies need to take the time to discover the most effective ways to motivate and inspire employees.
Here we will discuss a few simple leadership techniques that will help employees become more engaged in their careers.
Provide Functional Tools and Resources
An often overlooked tactic that motivates employees is supplying them with updated and relevant tools that will help them complete their tasks more seamlessly. Employees can lose motivation for a myriad of reasons and leadership should be able to recognize the cause. A recent study reported that the main reason why employees have left their jobs is that leadership didn’t listen to their concerns and lacked empathy. These qualities are key principles of good leadership and an important factor in leadership success.
Providing employees with updated tech devices and tools can help them complete tasks more efficiently, communicate better, and broaden their abilities. In some cases, employees work from outdated office spaces or remotely, which can disrupt their motivation and productivity. Companies should reassess and determine what employees need most and work to supply them with the appropriate equipment and resources, within reason.
Functional tools that drive employee motivation can include an updated computer and keyboard. Also, with increased use of technology and the risk of sedentary employees, management might also consider investing in workspace upgrades, like ergonomic office chairs. These can reduce the risk of work-related injuries and increase comfort and productivity when sitting at a computer for the majority of the day.
In addition to ergonomic chairs, supplying employees with protective blue light glasses can make a big difference in their overall health by preventing them from experiencing chronic headaches and eye strain, which may arise with heavy use of digital screens. If management were to enforce the use of workplace tools like these, they could create a healthier office environment for employees by supporting not only their performance but their physical and mental health as well. Actions like these can help motivate and drive productivity even further.
Set Weekly Goals and Incentives
Companies should be transparent with employees about their long-term goals. However, when creating deliverables to support those goals, leadership should set more tangible weekly goals as it will motivate employees to finish tasks in a shorter amount of time while also promoting accountability.
Many employees lose motivation when goals and expectations are too vast or unmanageable. If a leader sets a weekly goal it will give employees something to strive for each week, which will help them achieve higher productivity rates quarterly. Active leaders can try using one of the many time tracking services that are available today to help employees simultaneously manage their time weekly and review their success quarterly.
Management should also recognize a job well done as it will motivate employees to strive for success more often. Once weekly and quarterly goals are met, offer performance-based rewards to employees. This will drive them to work harder to meet their goals and decrease their apprehension to certain tasks. Companies should offer rewards that take into consideration the employee and the company’s budget. The three general categories that performance-based rewards fall into are cash, gifts, or experiences. Although certain rewards will motivate different employees, a dedicated leader will need to determine what those might be.
Understand Employees
A common mistake that leaders tend to make is grouping employees together, rather than treating them as individuals. If the team has aligned incentives they will happily work together to achieve a common goal, however, it’s the responsibility of a leader to understand what will drive each employee individually.
Framing the strategy in multiple ways ensures each member of the team has a clear understanding of how working together benefits them. This technique allows you to motivate employees as individuals and bring them together as a team.
Similarly, take the time to discover which leadership style drives certain employees. Management should engage with employees during one-on-one check-ins to get a deeper understanding of what pushes them to go the extra mile, what their personal growth goals are, and what ideas they may have for the company. This will allow great insight into how you, as a leader, can effectively lead your team based on their individual identity.
Let your employees’ individual needs shape your leadership style. The more you know about your workforce the more effectively you can lead them to success.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels
