Lasting Leadership Lessons From A Year That Changed Everything

Leave it to leadership and communications expert, David Grossman, to decide to write a book called, Heart First, Lasting Leadership Lessons From A Year That Changed Everything. David is so in tune with providing timely, critical, actionable advice, how-to’s and tips for leaders.

Heart First is engaging, inspirational and packed with powerful stories of lessons learned by a wealth of leaders with diverse backgrounds. It’s a book you’ll want to read and then refer to time after time. And, if you read only one leadership book this year, make it this one.

Reflecting on the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic, David says, “I saw many leaders using this challenging time as an opportunity to stand up and lead in moving ways. I was continually inspired by the concrete action leaders took to lead and communicate with heart – and guts. That is what this book is all about – applying those lessons learned to provide clear direction on how to be the very best leader and communicator you can possibly be.”

He adds, “During the pandemic, many leaders rose to the occasion, often by drawing not just from experience and wise counsel, but from being human as they led – what David calls Heart First leadership.”

Ten book chapters cover:

Q&A from the front lines
Lead yourself first
Know your audience and their needs
Show your human side
Communicate the right messages at the right times
Frame the context and make it relevant
Talk openly about what’s happening
Use the right channels to communicate with impact
Be ready to answer questions
Be respectfully authentic

Plus, you’ll read Q&As with fascinating insights and practical advice from many business leaders, presented in a style as if you were sitting with your favored mentor over a cup of coffee.

Leaders and Change Makers featured in the book include:

Tamer Abuaita, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain, SC Johnson
Paula Angelo, Vice President, Internal and CEO Communications, The Hartford
Nadeen Ayala, Chief Communications Office, ABM Industries
Liru Chan, Head of Marketing, Visa Singapore
Adam Collins, Chief Communications & Corporate Affairs Office, Molson Coors
Sherri Dublin, Vice President DE&I, Culture, Engagement and Communications, Ingredion
Lisa Keltner, Senior Director, Inclusion and Diversity, Baxter
Erin Loverher, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Walgreens
Ken Meyers, Former CHRO, Hillrom
Triona Schmelter, Chief Transformation Officer, TreeHouse Foods
Stephen Smith, Chairmen, President and CEO of Amsted Industries
Matt Snow, CEO, DHG
Victor Swint, CEO, Tecomet
And many others

David Grossman

Today, David shares these additional insights with us:

Question: What is your biggest takeaway from all the Q&A's and Change Maker insights featured in the book?

David: What stands out for me is the new level of empathy and humanity I see leaders looking to fold into their leadership. The pandemic and racial unrest of the past year forced a reckoning of sorts, and many leaders expressed the need to look inside themselves and reflect on how they might better connect with their employees in a personal and authentic way. Whereas before leaders were concerned about showing their personal side out of fear of being seen as weak or vulnerable, they are now seeing that kind of authenticity as a strength.

I was continually inspired by the concrete actions that leaders took to lead and communicate with heart, helping carry forward their teams in tough times as well as the calmer ones. Sometimes the simple act of acknowledging how challenging a moment is – and then finding ways to better support employees during a chaotic time – goes a long way toward building a connection and a shared sense of purpose for a team.

Question: What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself and your work during the COVID-19 pandemic?

David: Don’t underestimate the importance of small moments of real connection. As the quarantine and work-from-home experience extended far beyond what I expected, I found myself missing those special moments, such as running into colleagues in the office hallway or kitchen or catching up on the weekend while waiting for calls to start in the conference room. I realized I needed to recreate those moments as best I could for the virtual format. I started planning more time for informal catch ups and saw how much they re-energized me and the team. We had a couple virtual happy hours, but I was also diligent about setting up time just to catch up with teammates – with no real business agenda involved.

As I worked on the book, I heard many other leaders say they were doing the same thing – just taking more time to ask colleagues how they were doing personally, how they felt about balancing working from home with kids or loved ones. In some cases, I learned about anxieties, stresses or new responsibilities that colleagues faced. That helped me know how to support them and how to build an even stronger sense of teamwork for the agency. In the end, I think that made us stronger and better overall.

Prepare to spend a lot of time with this informative and wonderfully designed and visually appealing book. It’s worth it!

Thank you to The Grossman Group for sending me an advance copy of the book.

Comments

How To Be More Impactful Through Entrepreneurial Giving

This Thanksgiving as you think about what you are grateful for, think, too, about how you can be more giving. To help you discover a more giving you, read the new book, A Talent For Giving , by John Studzinski . It introduces the meaning of entrepreneurial giving - a hands-on approach to philanthropy that harnesses skills, expertise, and resources. Through thought-provoking insights, A Talent for Giving offers a powerful new roadmap for impact as Studzinski shows how anyone, regardless of financial means, can become a force for change. You do that by maximizing your Talent , Time , and Treasure and by embracing these values alongside others like Trust , Technology , and Trial , according to Studzinski. “Giving is any act of kindness or generosity that recognizes and respects the dignity of another human being,” shares Studzinski. “It can be something very simple – a smile, or a hug or a few words. And on a larger scale, it’s giving your time,...

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

7 Honest-Feedback-Extracting-Questions To Ask When Hiring

Awhile ago, the Harvard Business Review published some great questions that Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan asks when he is checking references. Ryan serves on the board of Yale Corporation, Human Rights Watch, and INSEAD , and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and a M.B.A from INSEAD. His main seven honest-feedback-extracting-questions (and follow-ups) are: Would you hire this person again? If so, why and in what capacity? If not, why not? How would you describe the candidate's ability to innovate, manage, lead, deal with ambiguity, get things done and influence others? What were some of the best things this person accomplished? What could he or she have done better? In what type of culture, environment, and role can you see this person excelling? In what type of role is he or she unlikely to be successful? Would you describe the candidate as a leader, a ...

How To Master The Cycles Of Leadership: The Four Seasons

Whether you’re an aspiring leader, a newly appointed CEO, or a board member wanting to better steward your company’s performance, A CEO For All Seasons: Mastering The Cycles Of Leadership is the hands-on playbook you need – packed with practical, proven tips to help you navigate the four distinct phases of leadership. “The journey of a CEO has a beginning, middle, and end, and the challenges leaders face early on are often far different than those midway through and near retirement, explain the authors of the book – Carolyn Dewar , Scott Keller , Vikram Malhotra, and Kurt Strovink . “For us, the most apt analogy to describe these cycles is the four seasons of the year,” they add. Spring : Stepping up - Preparing for the role. Summer : Transitioning into the role. Starting strong. Leading with impact. Fall : Navigating the middle years. Staying ahead. Sustaining momentum. Enhancing your learning. Future-proofing the organization. Winter : Transitioning out of the rol...

My Favorite Leadership Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership Book

Here are some of my favorites quotes from John C. Maxwell 's book, The 5 Levels of Leadership that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Progress comes only from taki...

A Roadmap For Next Generation Of Leaders Driving Culture-First Change

The transformative success of everything today’s leaders are driving – including AI (Artificial Intelligence) – will be determined not by whether they are “good” or “bad,” but by whether their organization’s culture embraces them. Decades of failed efforts prove that successful change can’t be mandated. That’s what Phil Gilbert believes and professes. “Change is a product, not a mandate,” says Gilbert. “Transform your initiative into a desirable offering that teams choose to adopt rather than an edict they’re forced to follow. Your organization is the market, and every project team is a potential customer who must be convinced that your approach will solve their problems better than the status quo. This product-centered mindset creates voluntary adoption that spreads organically.” This proven approach to making transformations is something people run toward, not away from. You’ll learn how this happens in Gilbert’s new book, Irresistible Change: A Bluep...

How To Achieve Bigger Goals By Changing The Odds

Dive in for a fascinating read as you discover the life-changing power of probabilistic thinking, taught by Kyle Austin Young in his new book, Success Is A Numbers Game . “Every goal that you’re pursuing has two hidden numbers attached to it—a probability of success and a probability of failure,” explains Young, “If you can make the first number bigger and the second number smaller, you can rewrite your predicted outcome.” “Whether you’re trying to start a business, run a marathon, get a promotion, earn a pilot’s license, grow a bumper crop of tomatoes, or sign an acting deal, these two percentages are always lurking in the shadows predicting what is going to happen.” But, adds Young, "Most of us never think about them. We assume our odds are unknowable and unchangeable. This dangerous lie leads millions of people to fail at goals where they were perfectly capable of succeeding. You can choose a smarter path,” encourages Young. In Success is a Numbers Game ...

How To Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential

As a leader, do you find yourself frustrated, wondering why employees don't meet expectations, peers are slow to act, or pressure from your boss falls unfairly on your shoulders? It's easy to point a finger at others and double down on getting results. But have you ever considered that the problem might not be them—that it might be you? “Your mindset may be the only thing standing between you and your potential. It’s time to break free from the beliefs that hold you back,” says Muriel M. Wilkins , author of the new book, Leadership Unblocked: Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential . Through countless hours coaching executives over the past twenty years, Wilkins has pinpointed the biggest reason behind these common leadership challenges: hidden blockers . These unconscious beliefs can actively stall progress if leaders aren't aware of their existence, preventing them from seeing a situation clearly, solving problems effectively, and advancing their caree...

How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose

“It’s time to get intentional about organizational culture and to make it strong on purpose,” explain James D. White and Krista White , authors of the new book Culture Design: How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose . “Strong company cultures, deliberately shaped, are the difference between businesses that are great versus those that are just good enough,” they add. The authors define organizational culture as a set of actions, habits, rituals, and beliefs that determine how work gets done, how decisions get made, and how people experience their workplaces. "Strong cultures don't emerge by accident," share the authors. "They're built—with clarity, consistency, and design. This book is your guide to intentionally designing a culture that is resilient, inclusive, powerful, and effective." Informed by over thirty years of operating experience across sectors and in the boardroom, the authors offer these strategies for desig...

How To Use The MOVE Framework To Be A More Effective Leader

In their new book, Real-Time Leadership , leadership coaches David Noble and Carol Kauffman teach leaders how to use their unique MOVE framework to help leaders adjust their reflexive reactions and optimize their responses to any situation – including unexpected and complex leadership challenges. The MOVE framework includes these four key elements : M : Be Mindfully Alert . Attune yourself to the three essential dimensions of leadership: what you want or need to achieve, who you want to be as a leader, and how to help unlock others’ potential. O : Generate Options . Identify at least four pathways forward by making decisions as each challenge requires, from slow and pensive, to whip fast. V : Validate Your Vantage Point . Choose the best reality-based point of view – even if it wasn’t your own or initial thought. Leaders can be prone to missteps if they’re unclear on their perspective. E : Engage and Effect Change . Do this first as an indivi...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog