Leadership Excellence August 2022

AUGUST 2022 • Vol. 39 • No.
08
(ISSN 2562-0711)
HOW LEADERS-
AS-COACHES
CAN COMBAT
IMPOSTER
SYNDROME IN
THEIR TEAMS
- Melanie Ho,
Speaker and Facilitator,
Strategic Imagination
10 17 24
Compassionate
31
Is A “Great Reckoning”
Coaching Leaders What Leading With
Effectively Through Emotional Intelligence Leadership Is Key To For Business
Post-Pandemic Fatigue Looks Like Company Growth Leaders Coming?
- Brady Hansma, - Carolyn Stern, - Geri Johnson, - Lee W. Frederiksen, PhD,
Multi-Health Systems Inc EI Experience Next PR Hinge
INDEX Leadership Excellence
AUGUST 2022 Vol.39 No.08
(ISSN 2562-0711)
07
How Leaders-as-
Coaches Can Combat
Imposter Syndrome In
Their Teams
Ensure self-doubt doesn’t harm
organizational objectives
On the Cover - Melanie Ho,

Speaker and Facilitator,
Strategic Imagination
Articles
Sponsored
13 Deskless Workers Are Quitting Because Too 36 Why Startups Are Better Positioned
Many Executives Are Living In A Fairy Tale For Building A Corporate Soul
- Amber Biela-Weyenberg, Senior Content Marketing Startups have the energy and the spirit
Manager, HCM Global Campaigns, Oracle - Ralf Specht, Visionary Global Business Leader
and Creator, Soul System™
20 Breaking The Cycle Of Resistance To Change 40 She-Roes Who Are Shifting The Narrative In
3 points every leader should consider
- Dr. Dawn-Marie Turner, Turner Change Management Inc.
The Black And Latino Community
Having diverse women in leadership can benefit the
community and the workplace
27 What Business Leaders Can Learn From The - Rikki Roehrich, Author
NBA And NFL
Diverse representation at the top
- Aaron Epting, Partner, Consulting, Root In. 44 Energizing Employee Recognition,
Appreciation, and Inspiration
HR.com Professional Education Team
Top Picks INDEX
10
Coaching Leaders Effectively
Through Post-Pandemic Fatigue
Empathy is a skill that many leaders
pay less attention to compared to other
emotional skills - Brady Hansma,
Psychometrician, Multi-Health Systems Inc
17
What Leading With
Emotional Intelligence
Looks Like
Emotionally intelligent
leaders can see the
opportunities in every
challenges - Carolyn Stern,
24
President and CEO, EI Experience
Compassionate Leadership Is Key To

Company Growth
Why putting your people ahead of profits pays off
- Geri Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Next PR
31
For Business
Leaders Coming?
Offer leadership programs for
managers at all levels across
your organization
- Lee W. Frederiksen, PhD,
Managing Partner, Hinge
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C
EDITOR’S NOTE
Editorial Purpose
Debbie Mcgrath Babitha Balakrishnan
Our mission is to promote personal and
Publisher, HR.com Editor, Leadership Excellence
professional development based on
constructive values, sound ethics, and
timeless principles. Putting People First Helps Leaders Achieve Their Goals
In today’s disruptive world, In his article, Coaching Leaders Effectively
Excellence Publications organizations need: Through Post-Pandemic Fatigue,
Debbie McGrath 1. a culture, where people feel valued and Multi-Health Systems Inc.’s Brady Hansma
CEO, HR.com - Publisher 2. leaders, who build trust with their people. highlights how the pandemic has affected
the emotional intelligence of leaders and
Dawn Jeffers Rather than managing people, leaders how it can be improved.
VP, Sales
should don the mentor’s cap, especially in
Sue Kelley today’s hybrid working world. Managers "Putting people first always pays off," says
Director (Product, Marketing, and Research) need to give their people a feeling of Next PR's Geri Johnson. In her article,
Babitha Balakrishnan and confidence and reassurance during a time Compassionate Leadership Is Key To
Deepa Damodaran of uncertainty. Trusting employees and Company Growth, Geri emphasizes putting
Excellence Publications Managers and Editors providing them with opportunities to your people ahead of profits and leading
improve their skills will empower them. with compassion for overall success.
Also, being a leader with emotional
Leadership Excellence Team intelligence will help to foster a workplace What leadership lessons can we learn from
Babitha Balakrishnan culture that is healthy and productive. the NBA and NFL? Root Inc.'s Aaron
Editor Although there is ample information Epting writes about that.
available on how a leader should handle a
Arun Kumar R
Design and Layout (Digital Magazine)
crisis, it is equally important to know how In brief, being a leader in this uncertain
leaders have fared through the pandemic. world involves a lot of unlearning and
Vibha How have they been managing? adapting. If an organization wants to thrive,
Magazine (Online Version)
leaders should improve their leadership
The August issue of Leadership Excellence skills and create an inclusive and diverse
includes expert articles that focus on workplace for a positive culture and
Submissions & Correspondence
leadership skills and strategies that will help employee experience.
Please send any correspondence, articles, letters transform cultures and workplaces.
to the editor, and requests to reprint, republish, We hope you enjoy reading all the articles
or excerpt articles to ePubEditors@hr.com. As leaders struggle to retain talent, and find some helpful tips and takeaways
imposter syndrome among their teams from this issue of Leadership Excellence.
For customer service, or
can increase departure risk. A coaching
mindset is critical for leaders to combat Do let us know your thoughts, suggestions,
information on products and services,
this. Leadership consultant, Melanie Ho, and feedback on our articles.
call 1-877-472-6648
Ph.D., in her article, How Leaders-as-
Coaches Can Combat Imposter Syndrome
Happy Reading!
In Their Teams, explains how leaders can
For Advertising Opportunities, counter self-limiting beliefs and help all
email: sales@hr.com employees thrive.
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COVER ARTICLE
How Leaders-as-
Coaches Can Combat
Imposter Syndrome
In Their Teams
Ensure self-doubt doesn’t harm
organizational objectives
By Melanie Ho, Strategic Imagination
M ost experience “imposter syndrome” at some

point in their careers, but feelings of self-doubt
are most acute during times of rapid change. Due
1. Normalize Trial-and-Error as a
Necessary Part of Uncertainty and
Change
to shifts in the market landscape, employees at all
It’s normal to fear failure when we take on new respon-
levels now must take on challenges with no precedent
sibilities. What’s even harder is when we’re facing so
or playbook. Faced with burnout, demands to do
much uncertainty and change that as soon as we get
more with less, and continued uncertainty, even
a handle on a problem, the situation shifts.
high-performers are more likely to question their own
competence.
Complexity theory can help explain why imposter
syndrome is on the rise today. Rick Nason’s It’s Not
As leaders struggle to retain talent, imposter
Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity
syndrome among their teams can exacerbate
for Business talk about the distinction between
departure risk. Imposter syndrome can lead
complicated vs. complex problems. While
employees to self-sabotage, resulting in lower job
complicated problems aren’t easy to solve perse,
performance. Finally, imposter syndrome can make it
at least they can be addressed through predictable
hard for managers to differentiate between employees
processes. By contrast, complex problems have
that require concrete skill development vs. those
too many unknowns. There’s no standard rule
needing assurance that they already have what it
book, and plans need to continuously evolve. This
takes.
can exacerbate imposter syndrome, as employees
internalize what’s challenging about the situation—one
A coaching mindset is critical for leaders to combat
where trial-and-error is necessary, and the goal post
the rise in imposter syndrome in their organizations.
keeps moving—as their own fault.
Here are three ways that leaders-as-coaches can
combat self-limiting beliefs among their teams.
Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 7 Submit Your Articles

How Leaders-as-Coaches Can Combat Imposter Syndrome In Their Teams
employees who are promoted to the same position.

The firm’s congratulatory memo applauds Mike for the
revenues he’s brought in, and Mara for the brownies
she bakes for meetings. Moments like this give Mike
an extra confidence boost for his revenue ability, and
can lead Mara to question whether she’s only valued
for her baking skill.
In interviews with hundreds of professional women,

I’ve found that women often wonder if they did
something wrong in these situations, blaming
themselves for their wide range of talents not being
seen as recognized. Many leaders assume women
When there aren’t replicable processes or single right
arrive in the workplace with a “confidence gap,”
answers, it’s even more critical for the leader’s role
rather than looking at how imposter syndrome can
to be coach, mentor, and guide—not an all-knowing
be created, or at least exacerbated, by these types of
expert. In coaching employees to navigate the
unintentional biases. Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann
twists and turns, leaders-as-coaches emphasize the
Burey’s viral 2021 Harvard Business Review piece
importance of trial-and-error. They guide employees
“Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome,”
to think about pilot phases and how to assess and
has recently started bringing more attention to the
course-correct after calculated risks. They also
systemic bias and exclusion that lead women of color
celebrate failure as a key element of cultures of
to feel self-doubt. They argue that employers need to
innovation, such as by holding “ideas funerals” or
address the underlying systems rather than assuming
displaying “failed ideas hall of fame.”
the solution is to “fix” the women.
When leaders normalize—and support employees

Leaders must foster psychological safety with their
through— trial-and-error, individuals understand that
employees, helping staff feel comfortable raising
growth necessitates failure and risk, rather than feel
their experiences with bias, rather than internalizing it
like imposters when things don’t go perfectly right
as their fault. Honest conversations—paired with the
away.
leader’s own work of learning what biases are most
prevalent in the workplace—can help leaders know
2. Diagnose the “Why” Employees Are
where they need to develop systemic solutions. For
Experiencing Self-Doubt
example, this can include codifying expectations of
Push for systemic solutions, especially those needed different roles so that women do not take on dispro-
to support women and employees of color. portionate office housekeeping tasks, or doing a “bias
check” on formal communications.
Leaders-as-coaches look to diagnose problems,
rather than assume one-size-fits-all solutions. While 3. Develop Clear Expectations and a
imposter syndrome impacts everyone, the challenges Coaching Plan for Team Members
can be especially acute for women and employees of Assuming Complex New Roles or Tasks
color. To combat this discrepancy, leaders-as-coaches
Imposter syndrome can spiral when employees aren’t
need to understand the “why.”
sure what constitutes success. Some may overwork
to the point of burnout in a quest to prove themselves.
In my book, Beyond Leaning In: Gender Equity and
Others may suffer analysis paralysis and indecision
What Organizations are Up Against, we look at
due to fear of being exposed. Leaders can help by
several fictionalized case studies that demonstrate
setting clear expectations as to what “victory” looks
how women’s confidence gets unintentionally
like at the end of a process or project.
whittled away. In one example scenario, we meet two

How Leaders-as-Coaches Can Combat Imposter Syndrome In Their Teams
Expectations also need to include a coaching plan, to stay in place. Self-doubt is a natural byproduct
or how the leader—and others in the organization— of these constant shifts. However, by normalizing
will support the team member along the way. Too trial-and-error, addressing the systemic biases that
many leaders end up worsening imposter syndrome exacerbate imposter syndrome among different
when they throw their employees into the deep end. groups, and prioritizing clear expectations and a
To develop a coaching plan, leaders need to ask coaching plan, leaders can counter self-limiting beliefs
themselves questions like: and help all employees thrive.
●● What are the “new” things the team member

needs to learn, and which will be harder than
Melanie Ho, Ph.D. is a leadership
others?
consultant, keynote speaker, and
●● How will the leader phase coaching, support, workshop facilitator who has
and expected independence accordingly? What worked with leaders at Fortune 500
needs to happen in the first two weeks vs. three companies, leading universities, and
months or beyond? small start-ups on organizational
design, future visioning, leadership
●● Where will the leader provide targeted training, development, and DEI. She is also the
draw on other leaders or the employees’ peers author of Beyond Leaning In: Gender
within the organization, or expect the employee Equity and What Organizations are Up
to pursue self-directed learning? Against, a 2022 recipient in the Axiom
Awards recognizing the world’s best
●● Does the employee know where they’re business books.
accountable for their own development, while
also feeling comfortable asking for help?
●● What does success look like in 30, 90, 120
days? How will goals be course-corrected as
Would you like to comment?
organizational needs and context evolve?
Both leaders and their teams today can feel like the
Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland, running hard just

TOP PICK
Coaching Leaders
Effectively Through
Post-Pandemic Fatigue
Empathy is a skill that many leaders
pay less attention to compared to
other emotional skills
By Brady Hansma, Multi-Health Systems Inc.
T he pandemic has taken us, our relatives, friends,

and organizations through various ups and
downs. In the early days of this pandemic, our focus
emotional intelligence over the years. We were, like
many of you, curious as to what impact the pandemic
had on overall emotional intelligence. We looked at
was on adapting to new protocols and isolation and two independent samples of leaders assessed for
thinking it should all be over soon—a few months at their emotional intelligence pre-pandemic and two
most. More recently, it has morphed into bouts of years into the pandemic. These individuals were all
malaise, depression, burnout, bewilderment, and “The assessed using the Emotional Quotient Inventory
Great Resignation.” 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0®), the first choice for many of today’s
leading organizations.
People everywhere have taken time to re-evaluate
their lives, values, and work over the last two years How Has the Pandemic Affected the
and many have made big decisions on where to take Emotional Intelligence of Leaders?
their next chapter. Millions of people from front-line What is different in the emotional intelligence skills of
contributors up to C-level executives have made bold these two groups of leaders? How may the pandemic
moves into new frontiers, many decisions occurring have affected leadership? Do they show more
without even a quarter of the due diligence they would emotional intelligence after having to cope with the
have ordinarily (pre-pandemic) carried out. crises? Or have they been burned out and displayed
lower levels of emotional skills.
What about those who weathered the storm? How
have leaders fared through the pandemic? While Our two samples included 114 leaders’ results
it’s not over yet, and it may be too early to draw any recorded pre-pandemic and 104 different leaders’
definitive conclusions, we’re starting to see some results recorded one year into the pandemic (March
hints. As the world’s leading assessment company for 2021). They are all from the same company in the
emotional intelligence, and the first to start measuring financial services industry.
it, we have accumulated millions of evaluations of

Coaching Leaders Effectively Through Post-Pandemic Fatigue
According to our data, there are no statistically tend to lose some of their focus on understanding
significant differences among the two groups of their own feelings and the feelings of others. There
leaders we examined (this follows the same pattern may be a need or urgency to get things done and keep
we found when we examined a sample of thousands of things moving, and less of an inclination to check
customers who completed the EQ-i 2.0 from March – one’s own feelings and the feelings of others. This
November of 2020: average EQ-i 2.0 scores remained scenario is a time when empathy and understanding
unchanged during the height of the pandemic). how those around you feel can be essential for
leaders. Empathy is a skill that many leaders pay less
However, within our samples of leaders, while there attention to compared to other emotional skills. The
were no significant increases or decreases, there payoff for empathy is not always immediate.
were trends, both positive and negative, that we can
observe and learn from.
Caring about others tends to pay its dividends further
down the road. This skill is one of those supposedly
The most notable differences were observed for the
“soft” skills that is harder than it seems. When things
subscales Self-Regard, Assertiveness, and Stress
are in crisis mode around you, often the last thing
Tolerance. It seems that leaders have become more
you want to do is listen to someone else’s problems
self-confident. Successfully navigating your way
and how they may be feeling about them right now.
through a crisis helps build self-confidence. You feel
stronger after managing to deal with complex life But feeling understood by someone else really builds
events. Covid certainly provided leaders with their the bond that people need to become engaged with
share of obstacles. their leaders and believe more strongly in their team
and mission.
Whether it’s dealing with people who are struggling
or in difficult situations—such as supply chain Coaching Leaders Effectively Through
shortages—leaders tended to show greater Post-Pandemic Fatigue
confidence during this time period. If you coach leaders, there are several takeaways from
this data. Of course, as always, focus on your client’s
Another aspect of dealing with crises as a leader is own strengths and scores, following their lead with
maintaining your ability to be assertive. Maintaining what areas they wish to improve on.
assertiveness could include expressing how you are
coping and sending clear messages to your teams 1. An excellent place to start is with self-
and contributors on your expectations of them awareness. We all have some degree of
during the crisis. Good leaders know how to express
stress related to the pandemic and its
themselves well and keep everyone in the loop.
effects on work. Try and get a sense of
where your client is at.
It should be no surprise that leaders who have
continued leading through these times have stronger ●● How have they been managing?
stress tolerance skills. These skills, of course, are ●● Have they taken any rest or breaks? This has
essential for getting through situations like this been a time of self-reflection for many people.
pandemic and being an effective team leader. ●● Have there been any changes in how they see
Managing their stress and those around them has themselves coping – at home, at work, among
proven to be a valuable skill. friends? What has it been like emotionally? How
are they dealing with those emotions?
However, a few emotional intelligence skills seem to
●● How are they spending their off-work time?
be less pronounced in the second cohort of leaders
(that is, those studied two years into the pandemic). Are they satisfied with their amount of
These are the skills of Empathy and Emotional Self- off-work time?
Awareness. In times of stress, it seems many leaders

Coaching Leaders Effectively Through Post-Pandemic Fatigue
2. Then check out their empathy

These are challenging times for all of us. The effects
experiences.
of the pandemic are unprecedented in our lifetime.
●● Have they been able to connect with peers,
Fortunately, tools like the EQ-i 2.0 provide us with
subordinates, and supervisors?
both a baseline and a gauge of our clients’ emotional
●● Are they aware of how others around them management during these times. As a coach, helping
are coping? others find their balance can be stabilizing for you as
●● Have they taken any steps to deal with other well. Some coaches have reported how energizing it
people’s challenges? Have the leader tell was personally for them to assist others in navigating
you about some of the experiences their these times. So, use the latest and most relevant
subordinates and peers have had dealing with information to help drive great outcomes for you and
the pandemic. Discover what those experiences your clients.
have meant to them. Is the leader fully
appreciative of what others are going through?
●● How can they be more aware of others in their Brady Hansma is a Psychometrician
orbit? Just making leaders aware of others and at Multi-Health Systems Inc, where he
what they may be experiencing can open the employs a wide range of statistical
door to increasing their empathy. methods to help ensure their
assessments are valid, reliable and fair.
He has worked on products spanning
3. Take a temperature check on any key the Clinical, Education and Talent
strengths as well. divisions.
●● Are they being overused?
●● Are leaders being overly assertive at the
expense of empathy? This is where the
balancing parts of the EQ-i 2.0 reports come Would you like to comment?
into play. Talk about the healthy balancing
of skills.

SPONSORED
Deskless Workers Are

Quitting Because Too
Many Executives Are
Living In A Fairy Tale
By Amber Biela-Weyenberg, Oracle
O nce upon a time, in a not-so-distant land, the

relationship between companies and their people
was quite different. Some rulers at corporations, large
US businesses have increased wages for deskless
workers by 7 to 10%, but they keep leaving.1 The
question is, as an organization, how do you begin to
and small, believed that workers didn’t need much to repair the employee experience for these people?
be happy. In fact, many argued that a steady paycheck First, your mindset must shift in three critical areas.
should be enough to bring a smile to their faces.
Be Human
However, some of the people were discontented. Far You must put people first. Many issues deskless
too many toiled away day after day in jobs that didn’t workers experience stem from the fact that some
bring them joy for years, just to avoid the job hopper organizations don’t think of their frontline employees
stigma. These workers resigned themselves to settle. as people with genuine needs and real-world
problems. Case in point: Only 13% of the 2.7 billion
Now, that time seems like the stuff of fairy tales— deskless workers worldwide—who make up 80% of
familiar yet unrealistic by today’s standards. It took a the labor force—have paid sick time.2 A worker on the
disruptive worldwide event to shake people from their front lines might find themselves reporting for duty
apathetic fog. As priorities shifted, employees dared sick because otherwise, they’d struggle to feed their
to dream of better lives and began to expect more family. Yet another person who happens to work in
from their employers. the office for the same company would likely get paid
time off.
Over only a few years, this radical transformation left
many executives out of touch and stuck in the past. Why? If we’re being blunt, snobbery is part of the
They don’t understand what talent wants or how the problem. Some executives and managers mistakenly
tide could shift so quickly and dramatically. Deskless believe that deskless workers, who sometimes
workers—historically, the most overlooked group in don’t have a degree, are easily replaceable and less
the workforce—continue to be an afterthought when valuable than other employees. Instead of giving them
it comes to the employee experience. It’s no surprise the support they need, these organizations choose to
they’re quitting in record numbers. cut costs by denying them paid time off for vacation,
benefits, and sufficient breaks during the day—even in
While more money is appreciated, money alone physically demanding roles.
isn’t the answer. Since the start of the pandemic,

Deskless Workers Are Quitting Because Too Many Executives Are Living In A Fairy Tale
However, this belief is flawed. We’ve all seen what Bersin recommends that HR designs hybrid work
happens when frontline employees are removed policies in tandem with a new deskless employee
from the equation—empty shelves, canceled flights, experience to give everyone similar opportunities.3
reduced restaurant hours, stores going out of
business, and supply chain complications. Early in For example, one of the tenants of hybrid work is
the pandemic, this was often due to COVID-19-related greater flexibility. A store clerk can’t work remotely as
isolation and quarantine, but now, it’s related to high a marketing coordinator can, but they can work longer
quit rates. And the standard way many organizations hours, which means working fewer days a week.
have operated for decades greatly influenced the Frontline employees could also work at different
current situation. locations or stagger their hours for more work-life
balance.
When companies don’t support their deskless
workers’ needs as human beings, their employee It’s worth noting organizations that make everybody
experience suffers. With recent shifts in worker report to the office in the name of equality aren’t
expectations and the labor shortage, these following a winning strategy for overall talent
organizations now struggle to hire and retain talent retention. Plus, this approach doesn’t improve the
because they’re no longer competitive. However, if you employee experience of your deskless workforce.
support your people, you’ll be an employer of choice.
The key is to tailor opportunities to every workgroup,
Be Inclusive so everyone wins. Making intentional decisions like
Truly inclusive organizations realize that inclusivity these regarding policies and workplace opportunities
branches out beyond race, gender, ability, etc., and helps deskless workers feel like they’re a respected
includes every workgroup too. HR’s responsibility is part of the team—like they belong. As a company, you
to ensure that each employee is treated fairly, which must also figure out what matters most to employees
is difficult if your organization’s policies aren’t created on the front lines, and the best way to do that is
with deskless workers in mind. For this reason, Josh to listen.

Deskless Workers Are Quitting Because Too Many Executives Are Living In A Fairy Tale
Read the ebook “5 Steps to Create a Better Employee

Listen
Experience for Deskless Workers” for insights on how
Some wants are universal, such as flexibility,
to protect your organization, the global economy, and
autonomy, adequate training, and good management.
the supply chain by improving the experiences of your
But you need to survey and listen to feedback from
deskless workforce.
your deskless workforce to understand their unique
wants and how well you’re delivering on all fronts as
an organization. HR can use frequent pulse surveys *Disclaimer: The preceding is intended to outline our general
to gauge employee sentiment and solicit feedback on product direction. It is intended for information purposes
new initiatives and policies. only and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a
commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality and
Managers are in a prime position to help their should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The
companies understand deskless worker priorities, development, release, timing, and pricing of any features or
but many don’t have meaningful conversations with functionality described for Oracle’s products may change and
employees. If a supervisor only ever asks about remains at the sole discretion of Oracle Corporation.
day-to-day work, it may feel awkward to bring up other
topics, such as advancement opportunities or voicing
a concern. Workers may even be more likely to leave 1
Deborah Lovich, David Welch, Julia Dhar, and France
than risk an uncomfortable conversation or assume Joris, “Why US Frontline Workers Are Quitting,” Harvard
the manager, and therefore the company, doesn’t care. Business Review, March 14, 2022, hbr.org/2022/03/
why-u-s-frontline-workers-are-quitting.
Oracle ME, part of Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM, includes
a powerful continuous listening tool and action 2
“New Bersin Research Unlocks the Secrets for Creating
channel called Oracle Touchpoints* to help managers a Supportive Environment for Vital Deskless Workers,” PR
foster stronger relationships with their direct reports. Newswire, November 17, 2021, www.prnewswire.com/
Oracle Touchpoints* encourages frequent one-on-one news-releases/new-bersin-research-unlocks-the-secrets-for-cre-
conversations, and the Nudges feature recommends ating-a-supportive-environment-for-vital-deskless-work-
actions to engage the workforce. Managers can send ers-301426389.html.
quick pulse surveys to their teams and track real-time
sentiment, allowing them to address concerns 3
The Big Reset Playbook: Deskless Workers, The Josh
immediately. Bersin Company, October 2021, joshbersin.com/wp-content/
uploads/2021/10/BigReset_21_10-Deskless-Workers.pdf
When managers are invested in their people, it
builds trust, boosts retention, and makes it easier 4
Austin Suellentrop and E. Beth Bauman, “How Influential Is a
for individuals to grow. Arguably, supervisors and Good Manager?” Gallup, June 2, 2021, www.gallup.com/clifton-
managers have the biggest impact on an employee’s strengths/en/350423/influential-good-manager.aspx.
experience. A Gallup study found that managers
account for a 70% variance in employee engagement
scores.4 To improve the deskless workers’ experience
as an organization, you must empower managers with Amber Biela-Weyenberg is the Senior
the proper training, tools, and encouragement to build Content Marketing Manager, HCM
relationships and help employees thrive. Global Campaigns at Oracle. She's
passionate about writing, dogs, lifting
others, and personal growth.

Unify your workforce
Build a culture that brings out the best in your people by
giving them the personalized experience they expect. Achieve
operational excellence by connecting your business across
HR, �nance, payroll, and planning.
oracle.com/hcm
TOP PICK
What Leading With

Emotional Intelligence
Looks Like
Emotionally intelligent leaders
can see the opportunities in
every challenges
By Carolyn Stern, EI Experience
In today’s day and age, soft skills

are equally as important as—if
not more important than— hard
skills.
According to organizational
consultant and author Warren
Bennis, EI is the biggest factor in
workplace success. “Emotional
intelligence, more than any other
factor, more than I.Q. or expertise,
accounts for 85 percent to 95
percent of success at work… I.Q.
is a threshold competency. You
need it, but it doesn’t make you a
star. Emotional intelligence can.”
As the old saying goes, “It’s not attention and moves teams
Technical skills and intelligence what you know; it’s who you forward. Professionals with
are the price of admission as know.” But allow me to offer a high EI have exceptional self-
you move up the proverbial spin on the phrase: “It’s not what awareness, better control of their
corporate ladder, but their you know; it’s the strength of the actions, and more empathy for
importance starts to wane as relationships you have with who others. An increased level of EI
you advance throughout your you know.” can also help individuals manage
career. We all know that IQ isn’t stress better, build healthier
everything; being a genius doesn’t Leading with EI is the magnetic relationships, and be more
automatically equal success. attraction that captures everyone’s successful in work and life.

What Leading With Emotional Intelligence Looks Like
emotional well-being has on their

organization and their life.
To be an emotionally intelligent
leader, you do not have to be
perfect. But you do need to
start to recognize, understand,
and learn how your internal
emotions are influencing your
external results. But how do you
do that? By being courageous
enough to explore and share
what lies beneath your surface
so that others will feel safe to do
the same.
Excerpted from The Emotionally Strong

Leader: An Inside-Out Journey to Trans-
formational Leadership by Carolyn Stern.
A leader with high EI builds can see the opportunities in
Copyright © 2022 by Carolyn Stern &
mutually beneficial and nurturing every challenges. They commit
Associates Inc. Excerpted with permission
relationships based on trust and to noticing, articulating, and
from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights
compassion. They actively listen, regulating their emotions, so
reserved. No part of this excerpt may be
can put themselves in other their teams will do the same.
reproduced or reprinted without permission
people’s shoes, and see things They bravely lead their teams
in writing from the publisher.
from perspectives other than their during challenging and uncertain
own. times, and even though their
emotions are heightened, they
Those who lead with EI show know how to regulate their
humility in their actions. They behaviors and responses. They
admit publicly when they make a use emotional information to help
mistake. They ask for input and solve problems. These leaders
help. They give specific praise can think objectively and not let
and constructive feedback to emotions cloud their judgment.
their teams so they can grow and They do their research and gather Carolyn Stern is the President
develop and are always open to the facts, first to weigh the pros and CEO of EI Experience—an
executive leadership development
feedback on how they can be and cons and then to come to an
and emotional intelligence training
better as a leader. They model the informed decision. firm. She is a certified Emotional
way and confidently speak up in Intelligence and Leadership
meetings—encouraging everyone Leaders with high EI set clear Development Expert, professional
to do the same. This prevents the boundaries, especially when speaker, and university professor.
team going along with unilateral physical boundaries are blurred
decisions. between their work and home life.
They model the way by investing
A key to EI leadership is the in, and boosting, their physical Would you like to comment?
fostering of a growth mindset. and mental health because they
Emotionally intelligent leaders understand the positive impact

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Breaking The Cycle Of
Resistance To Change
3 points every leader should consider
By Dr. Dawn-Marie Turner, Turner Change Management Inc.
C ompanies spend huge amounts of money and

resources on change initiatives that fall short.
Leaders state that resistance and a change-re-
The problem is not that people are
resistant to change. The problem
sistant culture are two of the biggest barriers to
is that leaders believe pe ople are
organizational change1.
resistant to change
The notion that people resist change has become
a familiar and largely unchallenged belief that has
shaped our thinking and approach for over six For example, I was asked to help one executive team.
decades. They had announced a significant manufacturing
change to the employees and wanted help to
However, the belief that people resist change doesn’t manage what they perceived as resistance. A short
make sense in a world defined by constant change. conversation with the VP of HR revealed the problem
Every day we talk about, read articles, and hear was not employee resistance. Instead, the executive
leaders discuss the constancy of change. Employees team had failed to recognize and take into account
are burning out, overwhelmed, and fatigued by all the the head start they and other leaders had gotten to
changes. If people resisted change so adamantly, prepare themselves for the change.
change would be rare, but it is not.
The executive team had spent almost 18 months
The problem is not that people are resistant to thinking about the problem, analyzing possible
change. The problem is that leaders believe people solutions, and getting used to the changes needed.
are resistant to change. As a result, they make a They were expecting their employees to implement the
significant mistake and overlook a simple fact: Not solution in eight weeks.
everyone will be at the same level of readiness at the
same time. The employees were surprised by the announcement
and didn’t understand the problem. When they raised
Here are three key points to consider when leading concerns, questioned the timing, and expressed doubt
any significant organizational change: that it would work, they were labeled as resistant.
1. Leaders Have a Head Start As we talked about the time executives had to prepare
The initiator of any change starts their transition and get ready for the change, they realized it was
before others in the organization, and any differences unrealistic to expect their employees to adopt a
in response are not an indicator of resistance but change in eight weeks that they had spent 18 months
readiness. preparing for.

Breaking The Cycle Of Resistance To Change
The Solution: Adopt a Readiness

Mindset™
Readiness drives the pace of every change, whether
in nature or in your organization. Our ability to adopt
new activities is not driven by a lack of resistance,
but instead by our level of readiness. Resistance
and readiness can’t coexist. That’s why adopting a
Readiness Mindset is so powerful.
A Readiness Mindset is grounded in the belief that

every person has the innate ability to adapt to and
adopt new ideas, activities, and behaviors. Leaders
who work with a Readiness Mindset know how to
create the conditions that build readiness and reduce
the discomfort needed for people to move through
2. Readiness is a Process that Doesn’t the change process.
Happen Simultaneously for Everyone
As spring comes later to locales farther north than When you adopt a Readiness Mindset, you realize that
south, people move through change at different people will move toward something new and different
speeds. Failure to adequately assess readiness once they understand the need and feel prepared,
and account for the differences among different capable, and supported. This allows you to engage
groups and people in your organization is one reason with curiosity to seek feedback, prepare, and guide
organizational change initiatives fall short or fail. people through the change process.
Similar to the transition from winter to spring, the Note:

time needed to get ready for any change follows a 1
Best Practices in Change Management 2018 ProSci
predictable pattern and is dependent on external and Benchmarking Report
internal conditions. Factors such as the language
used to describe the change, your organization’s
history with change, the current operational
conditions, and trust all influence the time needed to Dr. Dawn-Marie Turner, author
build readiness. of Launch, Lead, Live: The Executive’s
Guide to Preventing Resistance &
Succeeding With Organizational
3. Stop Labeling Lag Time as Resistance Change teaches stories, techniques,
That’s what’s happening in many organizations. and the science to take your team
We label the employees who do not demonstrate from change-resistant to change-
the expected level of enthusiasm, ask too many ready, from stressed-out to resilient.
questions, or are slow to embrace the idea of change

as resistant. We mistake the lag time between our
level of readiness and that of our employees as
resistance. Would you like to comment?
When that happens, it’s easy to set in motion a toxic

cycle of change grounded in the belief that people
resist change. This can sabotage your current and
future change efforts.

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TOP PICK
Compassionate
Leadership Is Key To
Company Growth
Why putting your people
ahead of profits pays off
By Geri Johnson, Next PR
A fter just a few days of working with a new client, a

team member came to me exhausted and visibly
stressed. We hadn’t even received our first payment
yet and the client was becoming a nightmare already.
This account seemed like a fit for our agency and
promised a hefty retainer, but the client began making
outrageous demands like scheduling last-minute
calls at 10PM, insisting on only communicating
with our CEO and rudely dismissing our team’s
seasoned counsel.
It was clear we had to walk away. While we missed

out on a payday, we were not willing to burn out
our team to make a buck. We chose to protect and
prioritize team member wellbeing over profits, and
this business philosophy has made an immeasurable
difference in the success and growth of our company.
Where Empathy Meets Action sacrifice their personal time, health, goals and family
obligations for the organization. They’ve put company
I’ve always considered myself an empathetic person.
performance ahead of their people and set unrealistic
I easily relate to people, understand what they’re
expectations and standards.
going through and feel the impact of their joys and
concerns. But as a business executive, putting that
It’s still this way in many organizations. I can’t tell you
empathy into action – being a compassionate leader
how many applicants I’ve interviewed who ask, “If a
– has become an essential strategy.
client quits, do I lose my job?” I’m always stunned!
It has never occurred to us to act that way or even
It hasn’t always been this way. For years, companies
consider fostering a fear-based environment.
have pushed employees to work harder and longer, to

Compassionate Leadership Is Key To Company Growth
Across every industry, organizations have felt the everyone to experiment, speak up and share
sting of this company-first attitude as employees their ideas without fear. Your team will learn
have resigned in droves, seeking better, more flexible together and be stronger as a result.
and more compassionate environments. The Great
3. Share the wealth. Our philosophy around net
Resignation has inspired companies to offer new
income is simple: The more revenue we bring
benefits to recruit and retain employees, but they
in, the more we can spend on each other.
should have been doing that in the first place. You
As leaders, we’re not trying to pad our bank
need to come from a place of authenticity and the
accounts. Our priorities are to 1) tell stories
rest will follow – you must find ways to put your
that change the world and 2) provide fulfilling
people first.
jobs that are fun, engaging, and don’t feel
like work. How do we get there? By offering
Putting Compassionate Leadership generous performance bonuses, providing new
in Practice business commission opportunities to all team
Compassionate leadership can’t come from a members, sending quarterly gift boxes, and
place of panic as you begin to lose employees or sponsoring team-building events from happy
fear The Great Resignation. It has to come from a hours to ziplining excursions and more. You
place of authenticity. If you truly want to implement need to invest in your people first.
compassionate leadership, you need to go beyond
4. Take a pause. Listening is a lost art – too many
trendy office amenities like a ping-pong table or
of us spend most of a conversation formulating
espresso machines. Consider higher-level strategies
responses instead of truly hearing what the
you can implement across the organization. Here are
other person has to say. During a recent Center
some that have worked at our organization to keep
for Compassionate Leadership Summit, “Where
our retention rate far higher than industry average.
Compassion Meets Leadership,” I learned the
1. Feel good, do good. It’s essential to prioritize value of taking a pause: creating an intentional
employees’ physical and mental well-being – space between hearing and reacting. Adopting
when they feel good, they do their best work. this practice has helped me be more careful
We embrace Peloton’s mantra that self-care is in the language I use – for example, asking
not selfish, and we take care of ourselves first team members to, “Tell me more,” instead
so we can help others. This makes us much of asking, “Why?” to avoid the perception
more agile and resilient to deliver for our team of judgment. It has opened doors to more
and clients. To support physical wellness, our insightful conversation.
company provides free health insurance and
5. Create touchpoints. With so many remote
gifted our entire team Peloton bikes. To support
team members, creating touchpoints with
mental wellness, we offer generous PTO,
your team is crucial to help them know they’re
flexible hours and remote work opportunities.
valued. And it doesn’t have to be elaborate.
We also foster a supportive atmosphere with
I love sending little GIFs to team members
ample parental leave and adoption benefits.
just to say, “Hello!” or personalized snail-mail
2. Ensure psychological safety. PR is a creative to spread positivity and let them know I
endeavor, and our team is most innovative see and appreciate them. When one of our
when they have the freedom and flexibility team members spent the final weeks of her
to push the envelope and experiment. We pregnancy in the hospital, I sent her favorite
encourage them to try new things; if they make cheese basket to her room. She shared later
mistakes, we recognize it as part of the growth how much it meant to her, to know we truly
process. Prioritize creating a safe place for cared about her and her family.

Compassionate Leadership Is Key To Company Growth
6. Give team members a voice. To do their best means walking away from a potentially lucrative
work, your team needs to know they can come deal or choosing not to renew a relationship in
to you with challenges, and you’ll do your order protect our team. By being selective, we
best to help solve them. On one of our recent ensure our team members won’t feel forced
all-team Monday Huddle calls, our CEO told the to promote something they don’t support
entire team that if there’s a client who makes personally, fueling their passion to work hard
you dread coming to work, let her or your for clients they genuinely want to help succeed.
manager know, and we’ll discuss options for
ending the relationship. Our team knows we
Putting your people ahead of profits and leading with
won’t force them to work with horrible clients
compassion doesn’t just make your company a great
– they have the safety to come forward and not
place to work, it also fuels business success. By
suffer in silence.
cultivating a compassionate environment, we have
7. Choose clients wisely. One of our core business increased profits during one of the toughest economic
principles is to work with clients we believe in times on record. This is powerful proof that putting
and who align with our values. Sometimes that people first always pays off.
Geri Johnson is Chief Operating Officer at Next PR. Geri has over 20 years of experience in the Fortune
100 financial services industry and is a Prosci-certified change management expert. For Geri, leading
enterprise-wide transformation is more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

What Business Leaders
Can Learn From The
NBA And NFL
Diverse representation
at the top
By Aaron Epting, Root Inc.
73% of NBA players are Black. Currently, 50% of NBA

Three Ways to Help Your Organization
head coaches are Black.
Emulate the NBA
While the NBA is far from perfect when it comes to
58% of NFL players are Black. To start next
representation in leadership, and progress has not
season, 9% of NFL head coaches will be Black.
been a straight line, we see several important things
for leaders to consider:
One of these institutions mandates that each team
“interview at least two external minority candidates
1. Lead with an Inclusion Vision and
for open head coaching positions,” and has had a
Conviction, not Diversity Rules and
form of this mandate for two decades. The other
Mandates
organization has never had such a requirement.
●● Visit the NBA’s diversity and inclusion landing
Can you guess which organization has the mandate? page, and you see the headline: “Basketball is
for everyone.”
If you chose the NFL, you are correct. Since 2003, ●● Visit the NFL’s diversity and inclusion
the NFL has had various versions of this mandate landing page, and you see the headline: “The
(known as the “Rooney Rule,” after former Pittsburgh Rooney Rule.”
Steelers owner Dan Rooney). But 20 years later, the
racial demographics of the league’s head coaches
Certainly, an organization’s culture consists of much
do not at all reflect the demographics of the broader
more than its website. But for the NBA, this vision,
employee population.
that “Basketball is for everyone,” is much more than
a slogan. The NBA has an inclusion conviction that
This issue is reflected in the business world too, permeates its dialogue, from how the commissioner
with many organizations acknowledging the same talks, to the initiatives that receive attention and
thing: their leadership does not at all reflect the dollars, to yes, marketing efforts as well. The vision is
demographics of the broader employee population.
persistent and consistent.
So, what can we learn from the NBA and NFL?

What Business Leaders Can Learn From The NBA And NFL
In stark contrast, the NFL continues to lead with the

2. Amplify, Don’t Muzzle, Employee Voices
Rooney Rule, the mandate to interview candidates
and Perspectives
of color. In year three of the Rooney Rule, the league
In March 2012, the NBA’s Miami Heat took a team
celebrated that Super Bowl XLI – played in February
photo in hoodies to support justice for the killing of
2007 – was coached by two Black men (with Tony
Trayvon Martin. Their team’s first comments:
Dungy’s Colts defeating Lovie Smith’s Bears), with
an all-time high of seven teams led by Black head
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of
coaches (22% of positions). But this leadership
Trayvon Martin for their loss and for everyone involved
representation has never been replicated, despite
in this terrible tragedy. We support our players and
strengthening the mandate over time.
join them in hoping that their images and our logo can
be part of the national dialogue and can help in our
Quite simply, the NFL has lacked a genuine inclusion
nation’s healing.”
vision and conviction. While yes, organizations
can see positive outcomes from requiring diverse
In August 2016, the NFL’s Colin Kaepernick began
candidate slates for open positions, it’s time for the
kneeling during the national anthem to bring attention
NFL to consider taking bigger, more substantial steps
to policing reform in communities of color. The NFL
that leave less room for subpar representation. If your
commissioner’s first comments:
organization looks more like the NFL than the NBA, it’s
time to ask yourself: Are diversity rules and mandates
“I don’t necessarily agree with what he is doing. I
at the center of your organizational dialogue? Or do
support our players when they want to see change in
you as a leader persistently and consistently lead from
society, and we don’t live in a perfect society… On the
an inclusion vision and conviction?
other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the
NFL. I personally believe very strongly in that.”

Both responses claim to “support our players.” Yet, in a little bit frustrating [lack of women coaches]. It’s an
practice, one organization followed through on this area you look around here, and you’d like to see more
support, and one organization didn’t. representation here with all aspects of our business.”
Four years later, only after George Floyd’s murder, In 2021, here is how the NFL introduced its ninth
did the NFL commissioner redefine what support annual Diversity and Inclusion Report:
should’ve looked like, telling former NFL linebacker
Emmanuel Acho: “Since the first Diversity and Inclusion Coaching
Mobility Report in 2013, it has been noted that the
“The first thing I’d say is I wish we had listened earlier, NFL has led the sports industry by intentionally
Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce, as well as
were trying to bring attention to.” increasing opportunity for minority coaches.” “While
improvement is evident, there must be an ongoing
As a business leader, are you listening to what effort to break mobility barriers and establish a cultural
employees are trying to bring attention to? As you norm of opportunity for all. The NFL recognizes these
listen, are you then amplifying employee voices challenges and is committed to taking practical steps
(like the NBA’s Heat did) or muzzling them (like the to ensure concrete results.”
NFL commissioner)?
The “NFL has led the sports industry by intentionally
3. Be Authentic and Avoid Celebrating hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce?” This just
Faux Progress isn’t authentic. The statistics speak for themselves,
In summer 2021, NBA Commissioner Adam and to reiterate the stats stated earlier, 58% of NFL
Silver conducted his typical pre-NBA Finals players are Black and for the upcoming season,
news conference. When asked about increasing just 9% of head coaches will be Black. The NFL has
representation of Black and women coaches, here’s had a history of celebrating faux progress, and this
what he said: “It’s something that requires our daily contributes to sentiments like, “Well, we’re doing the
attention. We aren’t going to rest on our laurels. … It’s best we can.”

Don’t get me wrong – organizations should celebrate are you more like the NBA or the NFL? As you hold up
real progress and should not focus 100% of energy on a mirror, how are you and your organization doing on
what’s not working well. each of these principles?
1. Lead with an inclusion vision and conviction,
But it’s not enough to feel victorious about the small
not diversity rules and mandates.
steps when the organization has such significant
2. Amplify, don’t muzzle, employee voices
steps still to make.
and perspectives.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell struck a better 3. Be authentic and avoid celebrating
balance in his pre-Super Bowl news conference in faux progress.
February 2022. In his remarks, he acknowledged the
small steps the NFL had made and spoke with much Creating an inclusive and diverse workplace is
more candor as he laid out specific ways the NFL critical to creating a positive culture and employee
would seek to make much bigger steps. But it takes experience.
time to earn back credibility from stakeholders when
the tone has been overly rosy and inauthentic for
so long.
Aaron Epting is a Partner, Consulting
at Root Inc. where he works alongside
As a business leader, do you strike the balance of leaders to create more diverse,
communicating that your organization is further equitable, and inclusive organizations.
than it’s ever been (if genuine), but not yet where you
want to be? Do you assess how your authenticity and
celebration of progress are perceived by others?
Are You Like the NBA or NFL?
When it comes to seeking more diverse
representation among leadership in your organization,

TOP PICK
For Business
Leaders Coming?
Offer leadership programs for managers
at all levels across your organization
By Lee W. Frederiksen, PhD, Hinge
T he Great Resignation shows no signs of

slowing down.
We believe a middle-management crisis is, in
many ways, a leadership crisis. It’s time for senior
management to take a serious look at how this talent
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the turnover will impact their firms for years to come.
United States alone, 4.4 million employees quit their
jobs in April 2022. Meet Your Mid-Career Employees
Mid-career employees are the rising stars of your
That’s a problem for professional service firms. As organization. They often possess the skills many
many Baby Boomers reach retirement age, entry-level firms rely on, especially as firms adapt to rapid market
and mid-career professionals fall short of filling the changes and disruptions.
gaps. But that’s not all.
Yet, this group finds itself in a precarious position.
Hinge Research Institute’s recent report, “Navigating They are accountable for implementing senior
the Mid-Career Talent Crisis,” found that 30% of management’s strategies and goals. They also carry
mid-career professionals (between 30-45 years old) the burden of creating a supportive, visionary and fun
quit their jobs over the past year. A third of those left work environment for their teams, sometimes in a
without another job lined up. remote or hybrid work environment.
Their reason? For more than 70% of respondents, Who supports this employee segment? It’s not
frustration with their boss and company culture were senior leadership.
the top two reasons for quitting. This news may
surprise senior executives who fail to recognize the Our study showed that only 48% of mid-career
effect on the employees of their leadership and the respondents are satisfied with their current jobs. Many
culture they help create. individuals are now passively or actively looking for
new opportunities—especially those that promise to
involve a more favorable culture..

Is A “Great Reckoning” For Business Leaders Coming?
Leaders often write off this turnover as nothing more

The Divide Between Upper and Middle
than employees wanting more money. However, we
Management
discovered that only 44% of those surveyed left their
Of course, senior leadership wants their employees to
jobs for a higher salary.
be happy, resilient and productive.
Instead, we found:
But toxic company cultures aren’t new phenomena.
●● Nearly 8 out of 10 were frustrated with Employees in past generations have felt disrespected
leadership/management at their old job and mistreated, especially regarding race and gender.
●● 72% desired a better company culture Mid-career employees, however, are often expected
●● 51% wanted a better work-life balance to solve their problems and the challenges of those
who report to them. Deciding to share issues with
●● 48% felt their work was unfulfilling
upper management might be met with nonchalance
or, worse, an impression that their confidence in the
These individuals aren’t focused solely on financial employee might be misplaced.
compensation; more than half of these mid-career
employees are looking for emotional compensation. In
Covid and a new generation of workers are changing
our study, 94% of respondents didn’t feel comfortable
things. Two years into the pandemic, many people are
sharing these thoughts with leadership. rethinking the value of work and the importance of
work-life balance. It’s a conversation whose time has
Without an open and safe communication channel come at all levels of an organization.
between middle and upper management, how will
leaders know the pressures they place on these
critical employees?

Is A “Great Reckoning” For Business Leaders Coming?
We also have one final question: When was the last

time your senior leadership received management
training? Most executives move into positions based
on their experience and accomplishments, not their
leadership and communication skills.
Consider if leadership assessment or training would

be helpful to your organization. While it’s essential
to start with your top executives, consider offering
leadership programs for managers at all levels across
your organization.
This training shows mid-career employees that

you value their contributions and support their rise
Our study also uncovered that mid-career employees through the organization. Our hunch is that these
at larger organizations were more likely to feel investments won’t break the bank, and you’ll see a
unappreciated or overlooked. Moreover, a toxic culture substantial return.
hits employees hardest in our new remote or hybrid
working environments, leaving individuals feeling Putting the Pieces Together
isolated like never before. The Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM) reported that, on average, it costs a company
What’s to be done? Middle management has ideas. six to nine months of an employee’s salary to replace
them. But the loss of mid-career employees costs
How to Move Forward even more in terms of short-term productivity and
long-term organizational growth.
When we asked this employee segment what they
value, in-person social events and mental health
Taking a hard look at your company culture can
days were at the top of their lists. These individuals
help you rejuvenate your employees—and your
are itching to catch up with peers and friends. You
leadership’s—enthusiasm for work. Ensuring all
shouldn’t underestimate the power of this type of
employees are valued and challenged can lead to
socialization to enhance communication and loyalty.
many more rewarding years of work and success.
These employees are also the chief advocates for

mental health days, diversity, equity and inclusion
(DEI) programs and employee recognition. This is in
Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D., is a former
stark contrast with only 8.8% of senior executives
tenured professor in organizational
in our study who believed in the value of mental behavior turned Managing Partner
health days. at Hinge, the leading research-based
branding and marketing firm for
Long-term employee stress leads to a lack of professional services.
productivity, directly affecting a company’s bottom
line. Mental health significantly impacts an
employee’s focus, memory and ability to connect with
teammates—at all levels of the organization. Would you like to comment?
If you have the budget, champion these initiatives in

your firm. These programs will directly impact your
ability to retain and attract top talent.

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Why Startups Are Better
Positioned For Building
A Corporate Soul
Startups have the energy
and the spirit
By Ralf Specht, Soul System™
“We have lost our mojo” – how often have you heard
this when long-time colleagues summarize about how
they feel at the workplace. It is not unusual, as many
companies do not put enough emphasis on corporate
culture. Leaders who realize that something has gone
lost often contemplate “I wish we were a startup
and could do things from scratch again.” Because
startups do have one thing that many companies
lack: the energy and the spirit that founders bring
into any business. They think that their firm is about
more than the business model. And that is the
starting point for a corporate culture which creates
that critical sense of belonging to their workforce.
I still remember to this day when we founded Spark44,

the unique industry-first joint venture with Jaguar
Land Rover. When the green light came, us founders
sat in a room thinking about the culture we wanted to
see develop in our little firm. It´s been actually those There´s so much talk about purpose, vision, mission
hours in the conference room of a befriended agency and values. What is lacking is that conversation about
in London which allowed us to create an environment spirit. It is different to “just” values. A great example
to grow the company to a global revenue of $100+m is LinkedIn. One of the very few companies that got
and 1,200 employees before it was acquired with it right from the get go. Back in 2009, the company
Accenture in 2021. In that room, we defined the defined their shared purpose and created a shared
spirit of the firm – the intended culture of the understanding about vision, mission, values and spirit.
workplace and created a fundamental alignment of all Their definition of culture is “the collective personality
founding partners. of the organization.”

Why Startups Are Better Positioned For Building A Corporate Soul
LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky put it this way: “Your Because this is what happens in a founder-led startup.
Vision – your “why” – is something that should The purpose, the vision, the values – all of these are
rarely, if ever, change. But your Culture and Values omnipresent in a startup. Especially in the early days.
– your “how” – need to constantly be evaluated.” And that often is the moment, when leaders in large
A lot had changed around LinkedIn from when companies say “I wish we were a startup again”. Take
they were founded in 2003 to the still early days in Lego for example. According to Jørgen Vig Knudstorp
2009 when their purpose “to facilitate professional who took the CEO position at the Danish company in
networking” was agreed and the vision “to create 2003 during their existential crisis, Lego had lost its
economic opportunity for every member of the global soul. In an interview he shared what had to happen
workforce” and their mission “to connect the world’s to get it back: “So, while we need to make money, the
professionals to make them more productive and LEGO Group has a deeper purpose than that. (…)
successful” were defined. All of these guided LinkedIn
through the days of the Microsoft acquisition in 2014 In the past we had “religious” people, if you like, who
and served the company well. But now, they asked believed in the purpose of what we did, but we also
themselves three fundamental questions: had “realists” who saw this purely as a business. I
wanted to combine the two in individuals—people who
●● Are our Culture and Values still applicable in could succeed in the marketplace and also reflect the
the current environment? spirit, purpose and energy of the company. This goes
●● Do they help us achieve our Vision? Do they to the soul of our company.”
help us achieve the “why”?
●● Do we cite them frequently and with clarity?

Why Startups Are Better Positioned For Building A Corporate Soul
Thinking about the soul of the company and taking

the necessary actions has been the eureka-moment
for Lego. Interbrand recently evaluated them as the
#71 in their Best Global Brands study and quoted their
brand value increase just in the past year with 21%
up to $9,1 bn. But it is more than money. If you check
Lego out on Comparably, you find a stunning 100%
approval rate on the question “Are you proud to be
part of your company?”. 98% of all Glassdoor ratings
approve the current CEO Niels B. Christiansen. Only
LinkedIn´s Jeff Weiner ever got a 100% approval rate
on Glassdoor.
His successor, Ryan Roslanky, concluded the work

that has been undertaken this way: “Rather than a list
of cultural tenets, we’ve taken the spirit of our culture Culture and Values over the last 13 years we’d add
and codified it in an aspirational statement that is this line because it’s not only how we operate inside
simpler to feel and understand: ´We aspire to create of LinkedIn, it’s the thinking we bring when we build
a trusted, caring, inclusive, fun, and transformational products for the members and customers using our
world of work, not just for ourselves but through our platform. (…) What I love about this is that it keeps
platform for every member of the global workforce. ´” the spirit of what is so special about who we are, but
And every word here is chosen very carefully. It starts raises our level of ambition to meet the moment we
with the first one – Aspire: “We set the bar high – not are building towards. And it creates a clear distinction
only should culture always be aspirational, but by between our Culture and our Values.”
starting our culture statement with this word, it’s a
reminder that we set the bar high as a company. We Startups are better positioned on day 1. They face the
play up.” This continues. challenge as they scale. If you are not taking care of
it as LinkedIn did, you are facing the a real existential
And while LinkedIn is turning 20 years in 2023, they uphill-battle as Lego did. But when they turned their
have been able to keep this startup mentality and eyes to the key drivers that made the company
focus on what matters to grow their culture with successful in the first place, they got their soul back.
their business. At the end of their statement, they Since then, they are a prime example not just for how
have added an important sentence that says “and much culture drives performance, but also on how
through our platform for every member of the global much tender, love and care are required to build a
workforce.” Roslansky: “Any time we’d talk about our corporate soul.
Ralf Specht is a visionary global business leader and creator of the Soul System™, a framework that
framework that powers culture and success for any business. As a founding partner of Spark44, he was
the architect of an innovative, industry-first joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover which grew under his
leadership to a global revenue of $100+m and 1,200 employees before was acquired by Accenture. He is
the author of Building Corporate Soul: Powering Culture & Success with the Soul System™ (Fast Company
Press). Beyond The Startup - Sparking Operational Innovations For Gllobal Growth (Radius Publishing).

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Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com JULY 2022 39

She-Roes Who Are
Shifting The Narrative
In The Black And
Latino Community
Having diverse women in
leadership can benefit the
community and the workplace
By Rikki Roehrich, Author
B ecoming a business leader is difficult. However, if

you are a female and/or a minority, it can be even
harder. The reality is that many minority females don’t
And Tania Haigh, Founder of Kids Too shared, “The
challenges I’ve had to overcome as Latina throughout
my career have been primarily around stereotypes
reach the status of success without having to be on about our culture. For example, as Latinos it’s
top of their game 100% of the time. And even then, ingrained in us to have our head down and work hard.
they still have to deal with the pressure of biases in Since we’re known for being hard workers, typically
the workplace which can many times leave them, and managers like to keep us in the same role, doing
other minority talent left behind. the same work. There comes a point to advancing
into leadership roles that go beyond working hard;
In fact, Dr. Toinette Gunn, Executive Director of it’s about seeing the landscape of opportunity
Chicago Debates shared, “In my 20+ years in nonprofit more strategically.”
leadership, I’ve encountered a number of challenges
as a Black woman. However, as I reflect on the Even statistics prove to be disheartening…
most impactful, those were experiences where I was
●● White women hold almost a third of all
taken less seriously, professionally, and/or viewed
management positions, but this figure for Black
as being less qualified. Most times these actions
women and Latinas is only 4.3%.
were subtle, but other times more visible when being
●● At the current rate of progress, women may
overlooked for opportunities given to less experienced
only hold one percent of leadership positions
White counterparts. Sadly, part of being Black in this
ten years from now.
country means learning at a very early age that we will
experience racism, injustices, inequities, and often
subjected to stereotypical views.”

She-Roes Who Are Shifting The Narrative In The Black And Latino Community
Despite the overwhelming number of challenges perspective, I also make it a point to hire young
that minority women face in business, many have Latino talent via internships and entry-level positions
been able to press beyond any difficulties to still to help shape the next generation of high-perform-
realize success. ing individuals.”
Furthermore, those companies that embrace diversity Having women of color in positions of leadership
are also able to realize tremendous success from the can also greatly drive social impact as these types of
benefits of having women in leadership and ensuring leaders tend to pay it forward and work to give back in
that their voices are heard at the table. some way to their own communities.
Having diverse leaders in an organization brings a For instance, Dr. Gunn has dedicated her entire career
unique perspective that can aid in business planning to helping Black and Latino youth in the community
and decision-making in ways that can make a where she lives.
difference and help the organization grow. The
benefits of inclusion in leadership also mean that Dr. Gunn stated, “Having been a Black low-income
your diverse customers are able to see examples of first-generation college student, I experienced
themselves inside of your organization which can firsthand how access to quality educational programs
inspire them to stay brand loyal. can bridge the opportunity gap and break the cycle
of poverty. I have dedicated my life and career
Haigh went on to share, “There are so few of us to providing Black and LatinX youth with quality
Latinos in leadership and in visible places. As a leader, educational opportunities. Through my years in
I take pride in representing the Latino community in leadership, I have helped thousands of Black youth
places where there aren’t very many of us. I leverage and families to positively change the trajectory of their
my influence to always provide perspective and lives.”
insight into Latinos. From a career development

She-Roes Who Are Shifting The Narrative In The Black And Latino Community
Dr. Gunn continued by sharing, “I am proud to serve The reality is that there are many benefits to
as the first Black Executive Director in the 25-year supporting diversity and inclusion. Unfortunately,
history of Chicago Debates where I am using my minority women are often overlooked for these
role to help Chicago Public School students to build positions despite being qualified. However, leaders
critical academic, social-emotional, career, and life such as Tania Haigh and Dr. Gunn are showing the
skills that will ultimately strengthen their future world just how important it is to fill these roles. And
economic stability, break cycles of poverty, and it’s not just good from a social perspective; it’s also a
promote civic engagement.” And Haigh shared that great business decision.
she is committed to protecting kids’ safety online
through Kids Too. She believes that all children of
all backgrounds need to have a safer environment,
especially since In 2020, there were about 606,140 Dr. Toinette Gunn, Executive
victims of child abuse in the United States with about Director of a leading student
143,307 children of Hispanic origin reported to be debate organization that is
abused in this country. not only helping thousands of
students, including Black and Latino youth to
The bottom line is that having diverse women in exercise their voice and speech capabilities
leadership can benefit the community and the – but also teaching them distinct life skills,
workplace in a number of ways, such as: providing career preparation experiences, as
well as confidence building and academic
●● Providing better business insights: Firms that achievement.
increased their proportion of female hires by
10% saw an average spike of 1.5% in overall
fund returns and had 9.7% more profitable exits.
●● More innovation: Companies that prioritize a
Tania Haigh is the Latino founder
diverse and inclusive culture are far more likely
of the KIDS TOO Movement (www.
to be innovative. By staying ahead of change,
kidstoo.org) and co-founder
they can be twice as likely to hit financial
of Parents Against Child Sex
targets.
Abuse (P.A.X.A.). After five years
●● Increased organizational collaboration: of taking on one of the toughest epidemics
Women are more inclined to collaborate with impacting children, Tania has disrupted
peers and with helping stakeholders to reach the child protection space by launching the
an agreement. This trait can lead to better #KIDSTOO movement in November 2021.
negotiations, increased collaboration, and Beyond the hashtag, KIDS TOO builds on child
better decision-making. sexual abuse, online safety and child poverty.
●● Driving empathy in the workplace: Women
leaders tend to showcase support skills for
staff members including…
●● Providing emotional support
●● Checking in on overall wellbeing Rikki Roehrich is a seasoned content
creator for a variety of small business
●● Helping to ensure workloads
brands. She has a passion for writing
are manageable white papers, blogs, articles and
●● Helping to balance work-life dynamics educational materials on a variety of
emerging trends in the marketplace.
●● Helping to mitigate burnout

i o n 2
i c at r 2 0 2
P u bl alend a
eme
d
e oria C t h
l u p c o m ing
l en ce
d i t w and Exce
e ne ership
l
E c k
t h
out Lead
n
Che opics i
t
HR
1 Leadership: Facing Your Fears Sep 2022
2
Digital Leadership: Key To Digital Oct 2022
Transformation
3 Leadership and Wellbeing Nov 2022
4 Leadership Trends 2023 Dec 2022
Check ePublications Editorial Calendar Here.

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Submission Guidelines
Energizing Employee
Recognition,
Appreciation, and
Inspiration
By HR.com Professional Education Team
A ttention HR folks, this article

is meant for you to share with
managers in your organization
overcome each day. This is good
for building commitment.
we usually mean something
kinda different from when we just
say rewards, as in “rewards and
who want to become the best Inspiration is about setting recognition.” It’s confusing, and to
leaders they can be. an example and a vision that make matters worse, not everyone
encourages employees to reach a uses the terms in the same way.
Employees who love working new standard of excellence. This It’s just one of those things. Let’s
for you are wonderful to have is good for elevating performance explain as best we can. First, your
around. You have three main over the long run. What these all company may have a VP of Total
tools to make working for you a have in common is that they help Rewards (that’s the same thing
delight: recognition, appreciation, employees love working for you as a VP of Compensation and
and inspiration. These three and encourage them to perform Benefits, but it sounds cooler).
approaches are all related, but well as a result. As a manager,
there are some distinctions worth you will be more successful if They will devote almost all of their
paying attention to. Recognition you learn the simple skills of effort to base pay, different kinds
is usually tied to specific accom- recognition and appreciation. of incentive pay, and benefits.
plishments such as being You will be very successful if you These are the big ticket items that
employee of the month, having master the art of inspiration. are the main reasons employees
reached a 10-year anniversary, or show up on Monday mornings.
making a special effort to help a We are going to have to apologize Secondly, the concept of Total
client. This is good for reinforcing for HR here. HR will talk to you Rewards includes everything that
desired behaviors. Appreciation, about “Total Rewards;” they’ll employees value including things
which has to be heartfelt to be also talk to you about “Rewards like good learning opportunities
effective, involves frequently and Recognition.” You’re probably and a great workplace. Normally
letting the employee know that thinking it’s nothing new as the VP of Total Rewards doesn’t
you value their hard work, their you have already learned about handle those other things, they
contributions and that you’re rewards. Not so fast. When we just work in compensation
aware of the difficulties they say rewards, as in “total rewards,” and benefits.

Energizing Employee Recognition, Appreciation, and Inspiration
Finally, rewards and recognition ●● Your boss tells you, “Yeah,

Who Is Responsible for
programs usually refer to things you’ve done a decent job
Rewards and Recognition?
where employees who accomplish on a bunch of stuff over
(Mainly you.)
something get: the past few months, so
Your company might have a
good work.”
●● Small awards (such as a formal rewards and recognition
gift card or merchandise) ●● At your 20-year anniversary,
program. Often there is a website
you find a cheap plaque
●● An employee of the you can use to give a spot
on your desk entitled
month plaque (or similar award to a deserving employee.
Sometimes these are points “20 Years.”
public acknowledgment)
●● A token for years of service systems where employees are
given recognition points that How Recognition
●● Simply praise for a job
they can cash in for a gift of their Programs Can Go Wrong
well-done
choice. Okay, that’s what someone If you don’t put any personal care
else was responsible for setting and genuineness into recognition
Recognition may be managed by up. What are you responsible for awards, they can be ineffective.
HR, but it might also be managed doing? You are responsible for Worse still, they can actually do
by Operations or some other using recognition in an effective harm. Here are some questions to
department; it varies from place manner. This is the case whether ask yourself:
to place. Sorry for that long or not there is a formal rewards
explanation, but it’s best to get the ●● Do employees believe
and recognition program. If you
confusion out of the way. (Whew!) that recognition is based
don’t have a website that issues
on favoritism?
awards, you can always give a
Why Give Recognition? word of praise, a handwritten ●● Do employees who
Look, you’re paying someone note, or buy a pizza for a don’t get recognized
right? Why do you need to tell hard-working team. feel demotivated?
them they’re doing a good job? ●● Do employees who get
The answer, as is so often the The success of recognition in recognized feel like they are
case in management, is that driving the right behaviors is being treated like children
employees are human. Maybe almost entirely up to you. It’s a being rewarded with a
a monthly paycheck should be powerful tool, but only you can cookie for good behavior
enough to keep them motivated, make it an effective tool for your instead of a professional
but the fact is you get a lot better team. Let’s talk more about how who does excellent work as
performance if you at least give to do that. a matter of course?
people the occasional pat on the
back--and all the better if that pat What Makes What’s the easy way to avoid
is accompanied by something Recognition Work? these problems? When you find
tangible, like movie tickets. Let’s do a mini-exercise here to out, please let us know! The
make a point. How do you feel best advice we can give is to
Even more important than when: be sensitive to these concerns.
general motivation is the specific You know your team so use your
behavior that you give them a ●● You’ve moved mountains to
instincts to avoid missteps. Note
pat on the back for. If there is a keep a client after someone
how people are reacting and make
behavior you want to see more mightily screwed up. The
sure people understand your
of, then you have to encourage next week you see an email
intention. When they understand
it. You encourage it by showing from your boss telling
your intention, they are more
some recognition when you see you that you earned 100
likely to interpret recognition in a
desirable behaviors. reward points.
positive way.

Energizing Employee Recognition, Appreciation, and Inspiration
yourself. What inspires you? Who

inspires you? Think about people
you actually know, not a

historical figure.
We want you to be inspiring, but

we don’t expect you to be Martin
Luther King Jr.
Next, ask your employees. Who in

their life do they find inspirational?
When have they been inspired?
You’ll learn a lot about inspiration
that way. You’ll also learn a lot
about your employees.
This article is an excerpt

from HR.com’s book, HR
Fundamentals for Non HR
Appreciation and recognition Managers which is part
Appreciation
programs can go hand in of the reading materials
(a deeper level)
hand. Just keep this idea of for the course HR for Non
There is a different way of
appreciation top of mind; we think HR Managers. This course
approaching recognition. It’s the
you’ll find that it makes you a was developed to enhance
idea that what we want is to show
better manager. a manager’s partnership
appreciation for the person and
with HR, improve team
their work. There is just a subtle
Inspiration performance and avoid
difference here. Recognition can
(the highest goal) headaches in complying with
be seen as a kind of quid pro quo;
Would you like to develop into national, regional, and local
for example, if I come in for four
the kind of manager that inspires labor laws, or as we like to
weeks with no absences, then I
people? That’s an ambitious goal, put it, “the stuff that your HR
earn a box of donuts. Appreciation
but a goal worth striving for. You department wishes you knew
emphasizes the personal side. or wishes you were doing as a
might think it takes some sort
of inborn charisma to be able to manager”.
What you are trying to
inspire others, but that’s not the
communicate is that you, as their
case. The ability to inspire is a
manager, genuinely appreciate the
skill you can develop.
effort your team makes to arrive
on time every day, that you are Would you like to comment?
grateful for the work they put into Let’s think about how you might
that presentation, and that you embark on the path to being
appreciate the fact that they’ve inspiring. As is so often the case,
been loyal to the company for a good place to start is with
20 years.

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Leadership Excellence August 2022

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Leadership Excellence August 2022

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AUGUST 2022 • Vol. 39 • No.

On the Cover - Melanie Ho,

Compassionate Leadership Is Key To

See list of hot industry

The Future of The State of Today’s The State of HR Skills

Aug 24-25, 2022 Sep 7, 2022 Oct 19, 2022

Learn more at: Learn more at: Learn more at:

The State of Internal

Nov 2-3, 2022 Nov 15, 2022 Dec 7-8, 2022

Learn more at: Learn more at: Learn more at:

A State of the Industry Research & Virtual Event Sponsorship Opportunity

In a world of unparalleled challenges (global pandemic, racial injustice, polit-

Excellence publications are my ‘go-to’ resource for contemporary and action-

Julie Winkle Giulioni

I regularly read and contribute to Leadership Excellence and Talent Manage-

Dr. Beverly Kaye

We’re eager to hear your feedback

By Melanie Ho, Strategic Imagination

M ost experience “imposter syndrome” at some

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 7 Submit Your Articles

employees who are promoted to the same position.

In interviews with hundreds of professional women,

When leaders normalize—and support employees

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 8 Submit Your Articles

●● What are the “new” things the team member

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 9 Submit Your Articles

By Brady Hansma, Multi-Health Systems Inc.

T he pandemic has taken us, our relatives, friends,

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 10 Submit Your Articles

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 11 Submit Your Articles

2. Then check out their empathy

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 12 Submit Your Articles

Deskless Workers Are

O nce upon a time, in a not-so-distant land, the

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 13 Submit Your Articles

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 14 Submit Your Articles

Read the ebook “5 Steps to Create a Better Employee

Would you like to comment?

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 15 Submit Your Articles

What Leading With

By Carolyn Stern, EI Experience

In today’s day and age, soft skills

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 17 Submit Your Articles

emotional well-being has on their

Excerpted from The Emotionally Strong

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 18 Submit Your Articles

A NEW KIND OF HR INDUSTRY EVENT FOR THE U.K. AND EUROPE

· Keynotes · Round-Table Brainstorming

By Dr. Dawn-Marie Turner, Turner Change Management Inc.

C ompanies spend huge amounts of money and

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 20 Submit Your Articles

The Solution: Adopt a Readiness

A Readiness Mindset is grounded in the belief that

Similar to the transition from winter to spring, the Note:

questions, or are slow to embrace the idea of change

When that happens, it’s easy to set in motion a toxic

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 21 Submit Your Articles

Marshall Goldsmith Courtney McMahon Beverly Troxtell Linda Cai

Melanie Tinto Nikita Steals Dave Sachs Ryan McCrea

TALENT DIGITAL SKILL

TALENT EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE LEADERSHIP & BEING THE

SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

By Geri Johnson, Next PR

A fter just a few days of working with a new client, a