Jennifer McClure`

Helping Leaders Leverage Influence & Create Maximum Impact.

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Discovering Your Why: How Clarifying Your Vision Can Transform Your Organization and Create a Bigger Impact

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 077

Do you ever wonder what it takes to be a great leader? To create an impact both at work and in life?

Sonya Shelton, Founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, joins me to explore this and discuss the power of discovering your WHY.

Sonya is passionate about partnering with leaders and high achievers to create a clear vision, enabling them to build work environments where employees are fulfilled and really committed to the organization’s success.

Her WHY? To contribute to the success of leaders to create a bigger impact.

Sonya’s advice is backed by her own experience as an executive, international speaker and consultant, as well as her bestselling book “You’re an Executive, But Are You a Leader?” She shares her wealth of knowledge, as well as actionable steps to help leaders craft a compelling vision and develop their leadership skills.

Tune in to this episode to be inspired and learn how to successfully lead your teams and organization into the future.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • What makes the difference between an executive and a leader
  • Defining success at your company: The importance of clarifying your vision
  • How organizations can create a strong vision in an ever-changing world, where the future is unknown
  • Practical steps you can take to discover your true WHY
  • How discovering your WHY contributes to effective leadership
  • How strategy and culture work together to create success for a company
  • What are the reasons for the increase in employees experiencing stress and burnout at work
  • Red Thread Leadership: The “5 P” formula to grow as fast as your ambition
  • What leaders can do to create the biggest impact right now

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 77

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Organizations make the mistake of thinking that culture is just the values or the benefits the employees get or how they treat each other. And those are all very important things. But if your processes and your structure, and how you make decisions, and who gets hired, and who gets promoted and why, aren’t all tied into that – then there’s a disconnect in the culture.” ~ @Sonya Shelton

“Things are changing so fast, there’s so much uncertainty right now with what’s happening…I think that’s leading into a lot of stress at work. And so that’s why we talk about purpose as being so important. When you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, and you have clarity about the strategy and where you’re going and that vision, then it’s easier to navigate those rough waters.” ~ @Sonya Shelton

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion. ~ @ Simon Sinek

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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10 Activities Leaders Must Embrace to Lead With Impact in the Future of Work

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 073

As we close out 2022, I’m focusing this month on how I can best prepare myself – and you – for a successful 2023.

In my world, this time of year is typically filled with prediction posts and podcasts, where thought leaders share what they believe will be the challenges and opportunities ahead in the new year, related to the world of work.

Since my focus is on preparing leaders – like you – to embrace the future of work, and to develop the skills necessary to lead with impact, instead of making predictions that may or may not come true, I’m sharing 10 areas and activities that are critical for leaders to focus on, in order to lead with impact in the future of work.

1. Fight for Flexibility for Your Team Members

People want to effortlessly work how, where, when, and for whom they want.

2. Prioritize Career Growth and Development Opportunities for Your People

  • According to Gloat Research Group’s Great Resignation 2.0 Report, the number one reason given by employees who took a new job as to why they would leave again was the lack of career development opportunities.
  • The same survey revealed that 54% of the employees surveyed reported that their employers either don’t take their future interests and aspirations into consideration enough or not at all.

3. Help Your People to Connect with Meaning and Purpose in Their Work

Connect people to something bigger than themselves and help them contribute.

According to Gallup research, a 10% improvement in employees’ connection with the Mission or Purpose of their organization leads to an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profitability.

I love this quote from Laszlo Bock, the current CEO & Co-founder of Humu and former Google SVP of People Operations: “The single biggest thing you can do [as a leader] is make the work feel meaningful.”

What is an organization’s Purpose? It’s what we do for our customers. Some good examples:

  • Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive – Kellogg
  • We fulfill dreams of personal freedom – Harley Davidson
  • We help people get jobs – Indeed.com

4. Commit to Real Change and Action with Your Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Efforts

  • Set meaningful goals
  • Track progress
  • Hold leaders accountable
  • Incentivize leaders

To learn more about how to do this, check out Impact Makers Episode #51 – The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Jennifer Ingram.

5. Invest in Your Leaders – Specifically Front-Line Supervisors

The biggest gains businesses will witness in the future will come from hiring and training the right managers, who care for, develop, and maximize the strengths of every single employee.

Why is this so important?

Gallup found that 70% of the variance between the highest engaged teams and persistently disengaged teams is just the manager (based on meta-analytics of 100 million employee interviews).

6. Focus On Skills Identification and Development

I think this quote from Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO of ManpowerGroup, sums it up:

“Helping people to pre-skill, upskill and reskill for in-demand roles in this Skills Revolution remains the defining challenge of this decade. It was important before the pandemic and is even more critical now – to create a better workplace where everyone is able to unleash their full human potential and have a more equitable share of the prosperity.”

Listen to Impact Makers Episode #64: Creating Career Pathways to Unlock Opportunity for the Workforce of the Future with Matthew Daniel to learn more.

7. SEE Your People

  • Show Appreciation.
  • Give Recognition.
  • Value Differences.

According to the results of a SurveyMonkey/Bonusly Survey, 63% of employees who are regularly recognized were “very unlikely” to look for a job in the next 6 months, and 89% of employees who are rarely recognized are open to accepting a new job.

Similarly, McKinsey’s Great Attrition Great Attraction Survey found the number one reason why people left a job without another one in hand was uncaring leaders.

8. Grow Yourself

  • Own your Personal Development.
  • Set goals, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable.
  • Challenge yourself to learn aspects of business and leadership that are not within your current responsibilities.

9. Develop Your Influence

  • Invest in relationships.
  • Build trust.
  • Share your ideas.

“You don’t get influence through control. You get influence through other people’s positive experience of you. You get influence through people wanting you involved – not by telling them you have to be.”
— Neil Morrison, Former Group HR Director, Penguin Random House now Group HR Director at Severn Trent Water

10. Embrace (and Lead) Disruption

  • Change is a constant.
  • Stay curious and seek out ways to lead change efforts.

Did you know that leaders are much more likely to engage in quiet quitting than their actual workers? Listen to Impact Makers Episode #63: Defining Return on Workforce Investment in the Future of Work with Dr. Alexander Alonso and learn what you can do to mitigate this.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 73

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Workplace from Meta

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Increasing Productivity, Profits, and Retention by Improving Employee Engagement with Dan Kessler

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 062

As a leader, if there was a secret recipe that included the ingredients to increase productivity, generate higher profits, and lower employee turnover and absenteeism in your organization, you’d want that, right?

Well, what if the recipe wasn’t a secret, and the ingredients were available to you today?

I’ve got some good news for you!

The levers that drive employee engagement are available to us all. However, the results vary based upon how well we understand which levers will be the most effective in our organization, and how we create and implement action plans to take advantage of them.

In this episode of the Impact Makers Podcast, I’m chatting with Dan Kessler, President & COO of Energage – a company whose purpose is to make the world a better place to work together.

Dan and the team at Energage help organizations to measure employee engagement, understand where they are today, and guide them to simple actions that they can take to improve their culture, as well as their recruitment and retention strategies.

I think you’ll find some really great takeaways in my conversation with Dan, and be inspired to take action to increase employee engagement in your workplace.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • What companies should be doing differently related to their recruitment strategy than they have in the past.
  • How do companies represent authentically what it’s like to work in their organization?
  • The role that pay and benefits play in driving employee engagement.
  • The biggest drivers of employee engagement.
  • How purpose and meaning impact employee engagement.
  • What Top Workplaces are doing that create double the employee engagement levels as the average US workplace.
  • Practical steps that you can take as a leader to positively impact employee engagement in your organization.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 62

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“More engaged employees drives better business results.” ~ @Dan Kessler

“Compensation is essentially the least important factor that drives employee engagement.” ~ @Dan Kessler

“We measure employee engagement based on three things: motivation, loyalty, and employee net promoter score.” ~ @Dan Kessler

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Meta from Workplace

Dan Kessler

Energage

Top Workplaces

Top Workplaces Research Lab: Employee Well-Being and Burnout

Leaders Can Drive Employee Engagement, the Pandemic Showed Us How

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Leading With Empathy: Why It’s Important and How to Do More of It with Marcy Klipfel

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 061

I’m speaking with Marcy Klipfel , Chief Engagement Officer at Businessolver, on Episode 61 of the Impact Makers podcast. As an experienced HR leader, Marcy oversees all aspects of HR, driving a high-performance culture at Businessolver.

For the last 7 years, Businessolver has released a State of Workplace Empathy report that examines the behaviors and benefits that make workplaces empathetic.

Our conversation focused on how empathy is becoming an integral part of effective leadership.

Marcy also shared some practical steps organizational leaders can take to help develop a culture that includes empathy, and more empathetic leaders in their workplaces going forward.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • What empathy actually means
  • Why some leaders struggle with empathy
  • What leaders can do to strengthen their empathy muscle
  • The 2022 State of Workplace Empathy report, and why empathy ratings in the workplace are at an all-time low

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 61

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Empathy IS still about holding people accountable and it IS still about owning what you’re feeling or how you are behaving. But it truly is going to that place of saying ‘I really want to live by the reverse golden rule’ so it’s more about understanding what others want done unto them.” ~ @Marcy Klipfel

“Our research shows if you have an empathetic leader and someone who can display that in an authentic way, it is the difference maker when it comes to employees jumping jobs for things that can seem very attractive. But the question is ‘Will I have another empathetic leader? Will I have someone who really truly cares about my perspective in what I may be dealing with?'”~ @Marcy Klipfel

“Employees are not going to give you a pass and say, ‘Oh yeah, I have an empathetic employer’ if they don’t actually feel it and experience it.” ~ @Marcy Klipfel

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Meta from Workplace

Businessolver

Marcy Klipfel

2022 State of Workplace Empathy Study

Brené Brown

The Table Group

Businessolver Webinar: Eavesdropping on the C-Suite: How executives are responding to the empathy gap

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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4 Traits of Teachable Leaders – And How You Can Demonstrate Them

The role of a Leader can be a tough gig – one that’s made even harder by some who feel that they’ve reached a point in their career where they no longer need to submit themselves to learning and leadership development opportunities.

As Leaders, it’s easy to think that we got to where we are because we’re the most capable – and as a result should be teaching those on our teams how it’s done based upon our experience having done it all before. But every living thing needs to be fed in order to survive and thrive – and as a Leader, you do too!

So how can we be more teachable as Leaders in an effort to learn and foster growth? It’s starts by putting ourselves in the frame of mind that we can (and must) learn more.  Best-selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell calls this a “teachable attitude”:

Teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude. It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It is the hunger to discover and grow. It is the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn. I love the way legendary basketball coach John Wooden states it: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

When I teach and mentor leaders, I remind them that if they stop learning, they stop leading. But if they remain teachable and keep learning, they will be able to keep making an impact as leaders. Whatever your talent happens to be – whether it’s leadership, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, or something else – you will expand it if you keep expecting and striving to learn.

Assuming that you’ve got the orientation of a Teachable Leader, here are four traits to focus on:

Trait #1: Teachable Leaders are consistent and continuous Seekers. 

To avoid stagnation as a Leader, seek out opportunities to listen, learn and apply knowledge not only from like-minded, similarly situated colleagues, but also from those who can offer different perspectives and even contrary points of view. Read books, blogs and news from authors and websites that are both similar and opposite to your way of thinking. Effective Leaders need to be able to think through and justify their own decision-making to many different stakeholders, so actively seeking out alternative perspectives in advance is a great way to solidify – and improve – your ideas and plans.

Trait #2: Teachable Leaders are willing to be Receivers.

As someone who has worked with and coached many senior level executives, I can confirm that it’s rare for Leaders to get honest and direct feedback from those on their teams and in their organizations – positive, negative or constructive. Why? There’s still also an unwritten rule within much of the business world – “The Boss is always right”, but an even bigger reason is that it’s actually rare for a Leader to ask – and be willing to receive feedback other than agreement with their approach or idea. If the people on your teams aren’t willing to or used to providing you with feedback, teach them how. And most importantly, act upon the feedback that you’re given. Show your team that you have a hunger and desire to grow and improve as a Leader, and that they’re an important part of that journey!

Trait #3: Teachable Leaders understand the importance of being good Followers.

We often assign mentors to young professionals at work, to help them gain insights and encouragement from someone that they can model and learn from. Regardless of your longevity in your career or within your organization, as a Leader you need mentors and role-models too. Do you have someone in your network that you can go to for advice and counsel? Maybe that’s another CEO, a colleague from a professional networking group or an outside coach, but make sure that you have someone whom you admire and respect to offer you a safe place to work through problems and opportunities – and be willing to submit to their leadership. We get better by learning from others who have been there/done that – and got the t-shirt.

Trait #4: Teachable Leaders grow stronger when the are Producers. 

A great way to grow in character and competence as a Leader is to build into other Leaders. Are you mentoring others? Are you actively sharing what you’re learning as a Seeker, Receiver and Follower? Don’t keep all of the goodness to yourself. Invest in others to multiply the results of your continuous improvement efforts!

Question: What did I miss? What are some additional traits that you feel Teachable Leaders have? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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Unbridled Talent LLC is a consulting and advisory firm providing services to clients in the areas of leadership development, executive communication skills and talent strategy. Jennifer McClure offers keynotes, workshops and training that inspire and teach business leaders to be more effective in their careers and as leaders of their organization’s most valuable resource – people. Contact us to schedule an event or to discuss our strategic consulting and advisory services.

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