Middle management gets a bad rap. It brings to mind terrible bosses from the Dilbert cartoons or Michael Scott from The Office, or a career graveyard for mediocre leaders unable to reach the upper echelons of management.And that’s too bad. Because the truth is, most of us are in middle management and always will be. So, rather than languishing in it — which only bolsters the lousy reputation — lean into it. With the right tools, you can be wildly successful as a middle manager. And this week, I spoke this week with someone who literally wrote the book on those tools.Scott Mautz spent 20 very successful years in middle management at The Procter &amp; Gamble Company. Today he writes for Inc. Magazine, is a keynote speaker and leadership coach, and the author of the new book, Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization.In our conversation, Scott shared a few of the tools he recommends to middle managers. Click play above to listen. Here’s an overview of our conversation with a small sample of tips from the book:3 Tools for Managing UP: How to Disagree with Your Boss1) Always discuss INTENT before CONTENT – When you need to tell the boss they’re wrong, diving right into your disagreement can be off-putting and lower the likelihood they’ll listen and agree.Instead, preface the content of your disagreement with your intent in sharing it. That way they know the disagreement is coming from a place of respect and desire for mutual success, as opposed to a result of animosity or desire to see the boss fail. Something like this,“You know, you told me when I first got here that I should be candid with you. I think you’ve been a great boss, and I respect what you’ve accomplished here. But on this issue, I’m in a different place. And so, my intent here is to give you some other alternatives that I think will help us be more successful…”2) Be respectfully candid – And both words are important. If you’re not candid, you won’t make a difference. And if you’re not respectful, you’ll offend and won’t earn the right to be candid.3) Avoid judgment words – These conversations go south when the language starts to seem accusational. It sounds like this, “…and the reason why I think you made that decision is because you’re too power hungry (or not empathetic enough, or don’t care about your employees, etc.)”Stick to the decision and the ramifications. Let them do their own self-analysis unless they ask you for your opinion about that.3 Tools for Managing DOWN: How to give feedback so that people view it as a gift4) Be specific – Bland, generic feedback won’t help. Telling someone they’re too analytical isn’t actionable.Give specific examples of what they did well and did poorly. “You probably spent too much time and effort analyzing the ABC project and as a result, most of what you did never even got shared with management because it wasn’t very helpful.”5) Be calibrated – Meaning, the feedback needs to indicate how big a deal the mis-step was and what ramifications it might have, if any, on their future career.If you just tell them they didn’t meet your expectations in the last meeting, and leave it at that, they might spend weeks spiraling into unproductive worry.Instead, give them some indication of the severity. Either, “…but that’s okay. That’s about where I would expect you to be this early in your assignment”, or “…so, we’ll need to work on this quickly so that it doesn’t hold you back.”6) Be proportionate – Human beings want five pieces of positive feedback for every piece of negative feedback. Many of them want what Scott calls a “compliment sandwich” — tell me something good about me, them give me the negatives, then close with something else good.4 Tools for Managing ACROSS the organizationThis is for when you’re trying to influence your peers or other people you have no direct authority over. And if you think about the people in your work life who’ve influenced you the most, even though they had no direct authority over you, Scott’s research suggests those people did one (or more) of the following four things:7) Cared about you, and showed it somehow8) Listened to you when you needed it9) Gave you something, or10) Taught you somethingInvesting in people in these ways tends to earn you their ear and their respect, which means they’ll be more open to following your leadership even though they don’t have to.You can learn more about Scott at scottmautz.com. And if you go to scottmautz.com/freetools, you’ll find some free tools to help you lead from the middle. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean.Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author.  Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook and LinkedIn.﻿The post 10 Tips to Succeed in Middle Management appeared first on Paul Smith.

Middle management gets a bad rap. It brings to mind terrible bosses from the Dilbert cartoons or Michael Scott from The Office, or a career graveyard for mediocre leaders unable to reach the upper echelons of management.And that’s too bad. Because the truth is, most of us are in middle management and always will be. So, rather than languishing in it — which only bolsters the lousy reputation — lean into it. With the right tools, you can be wildly successful as a middle manager. And this week, I spoke this week with someone who literally wrote the book on those tools.<a href="http://www.scottmautz.com" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Scott Mautz</a> spent 20 very successful years in middle management at The Procter &amp; Gamble Company. Today he writes for Inc. Magazine, is a keynote speaker and leadership coach, and the author of the new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2RrCRLe" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization</a>.In our conversation, Scott shared a few of the tools he recommends to middle managers. Click play above to listen. Here’s an overview of our conversation with a small sample of tips from the book:3 Tools for Managing UP: How to Disagree with Your Boss 1) Always discuss INTENT before CONTENT – When you need to tell the boss they’re wrong, diving right into your disagreement can be off-putting and lower the likelihood they’ll listen and agree.Instead, preface the content of your disagreement with your intent in sharing it. That way they know the disagreement is coming from a place of respect and desire for mutual success, as opposed to a result of animosity or desire to see the boss fail. Something like this,<blockquote>“You know, you told me when I first got here that I should be candid with you. I think you’ve been a great boss, and I respect what you’ve accomplished here. But on this issue, I’m in a different place. And so, my intent here is to give you some other alternatives that I think will help us be more successful…”</blockquote>2) Be respectfully candid – And both words are important. If you’re not candid, you won’t make a difference. And if you’re not respectful, you’ll offend and won’t earn the right to be candid.3) Avoid judgment words – These conversations go south when the language starts to seem accusational. It sounds like this, “…and the reason why I think you made that decision is because you’re too power hungry (or not empathetic enough, or don’t care about your employees, etc.)”Stick to the decision and the ramifications. Let them do their own self-analysis unless they ask you for your opinion about that.3 Tools for Managing DOWN: How to give feedback so that people view it as a gift4) Be specific – Bland, generic feedback won’t help. Telling someone they’re too analytical isn’t actionable. Give specific examples of what they did well and did poorly. “You probably spent too much time and effort analyzing the ABC project and as a result, most of what you did never even got shared with management because it wasn’t very helpful.”5) Be calibrated – Meaning, the feedback needs to indicate how big a deal the mis-step was and what ramifications it might have, if any, on their future career. If you just tell them they didn’t meet your expectations in the last meeting, and leave it at that, they might spend weeks spiraling into unproductive worry. Instead, give them some indication of the severity. Either, “…but that’s okay. That’s about where I would expect you to be this early in your assignment”, or “…so, we’ll need to work on this quickly so that it doesn’t hold you back.”6) Be proportionate – Human beings want five pieces of positive feedback for every piece of negative feedback. Many of them want what Scott calls a “compliment sandwich” — tell me something good about me, them give me the negatives, then close with something else good.4 Tools for Managing ACROSS the organizationThis is for when you’re trying to influence your peers or other people you have no direct authority over. And if you think about the people in your work life who’ve influenced you the most, even though they had no direct authority over you, Scott’s research suggests those people did one (or more) of the following four things:7) Cared about you, and showed it somehow 8) Listened to you when you needed it 9) Gave you something, or 10) Taught you somethingInvesting in people in these ways tends to earn you their ear and their respect, which means they’ll be more open to following your leadership even though they don’t have to.You can learn more about Scott at <a href="http://www.scottmautz.com" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">scottmautz.com</a>. And if you go to <a href="http://scottmautz.com/freetools" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">scottmautz.com/freetools</a>, you’ll find some free tools to help you lead from the middle. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>.<a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.<a href="https://amzn.to/3dXQ8Tv" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a>﻿The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas126/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Tips to Succeed in Middle Management</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

10 Tips to Succeed in Middle Management

﻿ “My experience as a leader is that all the conversations that really mattered happened in corridors when I was in transition from one meeting to the next. And it would be really easy — because of the time constraint — to just say, ‘This is what I think you should do…’. And yet, one of the most effective things you can do as a leader is say, ‘What do you think?'” Jenny Robinson Phil Renshaw and Jenny Robinson joined me this week with some simple techniques for how to be a better coach to your people in only a few minutes a day. All ideas they’ve captured in their new book, Coaching on the Go: How to lead your team effectively in 10 minutes a day.    Here’s an outline of our conversation. Click play above to join in. . .  2:15 – What’s this book about?3:50 – Who’s it for?8:45 – Chapter 6: Self-awareness     – Imposter syndrome: Jenny’s self-doubt on landing a top publisher14:10 – The same experience from Phil’s perspective17:10 – 3 tools to be better at Self-awareness: Step back and notice what you notice – Create a break in your routine so that it’s easier to do. An alarm on your phone, etc.20:40 – Repeating or paraphrasing back what you heard22:05 – Tentative naming Phil started his career in international banking, treasury, and finance. Today, he’s a management and executive coach with a special expertise in the value of international assignments.  Jenny has worked in communication, coaching, and change management for most of the last three decades. She is also a visiting fellow and Ph.D. researcher at the Cranfield School of Management in the UK. You can find out more about their work at www.coachingonthego.co.uk. You can contact Phil at phil@coachingonthego.co.uk and Jenny at jenny@coachingonthego.co.uk.  Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean. Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author.   Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook and LinkedIn.  ﻿The post 3 Simple Tools for the Self-Aware Leader appeared first on Paul Smith.

﻿ <blockquote>“My experience as a leader is that all the conversations that really mattered happened in corridors when I was in transition from one meeting to the next. And it would be really easy — because of the time constraint — to just say, ‘This is what I think you should do…’. And yet, one of the most effective things you can do as a leader is say, ‘What do you think?'” Jenny Robinson</blockquote> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/renshawphil/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Phil Renshaw</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hintonandco/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jenny Robinson</a> joined me this week with some simple techniques for how to be a better coach to your people in only a few minutes a day. All ideas they’ve captured in their new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/32eSvf4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Coaching on the Go: How to lead your team effectively in 10 minutes a day</a>. <a href="https://amzn.to/32eSvf4" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Here’s an outline of our conversation. Click play above to join in. . . 2:15 – What’s this book about? 3:50 – Who’s it for? 8:45 – Chapter 6: Self-awareness – Imposter syndrome: Jenny’s self-doubt on landing a top publisher 14:10 – The same experience from Phil’s perspective 17:10 – 3 tools to be better at Self-awareness: <ul><li>Step back and notice what you notice – Create a break in your routine so that it’s easier to do. An alarm on your phone, etc.</li><li>20:40 – Repeating or paraphrasing back what you heard</li><li>22:05 – Tentative naming</li></ul> Phil started his career in international banking, treasury, and finance. Today, he’s a management and executive coach with a special expertise in the value of international assignments. Jenny has worked in communication, coaching, and change management for most of the last three decades. She is also a visiting fellow and Ph.D. researcher at the Cranfield School of Management in the UK. You can find out more about their work at <a href="http://www.coachingonthego.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.coachingonthego.co.uk</a>. You can contact Phil at phil@coachingonthego.co.uk and Jenny at jenny@coachingonthego.co.uk. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>. <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. <a href="https://amzn.to/3dXQ8Tv" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> ﻿The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas124/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Simple Tools for the Self-Aware Leader</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

3 Simple Tools for the Self-Aware Leader

Imagine you’re driving home from work one night around 8 pm. It’s cold. It’s raining. And there’s a dirty, slushy, melting snow on the ground. You glance out the car window and you see a young girl huddled up on the side of the road. She looks cold, scared, alone, and injured.You pull over and invite her into your warm car, and take her to a diner for a meal.She doesn’t speak to you the entire time. She just sits there, staring down into her plate while eating, dripping gray water all over the seat. Your mind races though all of the unthinkable possibilities for what might have lead her to this place in life.When she finishes eating, still not having said a word, she peels herself off of the plastic seat, gets up, and heads toward the exit. You watch as her frail little back walks away from you. In two more seconds, she’ll be through the door and gone from your life forever.At that moment, what do you do?Emily Chang doesn’t have to imagine. She knows. Because this happened to her. At that moment what she decided to do was yell out, “Where are you going to sleep tonight”?The girl stopped. Her shoulders quivered a bit. And Emily continued, “I have a spare room.”That girl became the first of sixteen people over the last 25 years to have been blessed to spend some of the darkest times of their lives in the respite of Emily Chang’s spare room.An abused child bride. An unwanted boy with hydrocephalus. A girl raised in a brothel. And over a dozen other young people whose lives were changed for the better in Emily’s spare room.Emily documents their stories in her new book, The Spare Room: Define Your Social Legacy to Live a More Intentional Life and Lead with Authentic Purpose. In the book, she not only shares their unforgettable stories, but the life and leadership lessons we can all learn from them.In this episode, Emily describes one of those young people lucky enough to spend some time in Emily’s spare room. Click the play button above to hear the story of Devon, a child bride thrown out of her own home.Emily Chang has worked in leadership positions at Procter &amp; Gamble, Apple, and Starbucks. Today she serves as the CEO of China for the global advertising giant, McCann. You can find Emily at https://social-legacy.com/.Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean.Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author.  Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook and LinkedIn.The post The Spare Room appeared first on Paul Smith.

Imagine you’re driving home from work one night around 8 pm. It’s cold. It’s raining. And there’s a dirty, slushy, melting snow on the ground. You glance out the car window and you see a young girl huddled up on the side of the road. She looks cold, scared, alone, and injured.You pull over and invite her into your warm car, and take her to a diner for a meal.She doesn’t speak to you the entire time. She just sits there, staring down into her plate while eating, dripping gray water all over the seat. Your mind races though all of the unthinkable possibilities for what might have lead her to this place in life.When she finishes eating, still not having said a word, she peels herself off of the plastic seat, gets up, and heads toward the exit. You watch as her frail little back walks away from you. In two more seconds, she’ll be through the door and gone from your life forever.At that moment, what do you do?<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilychang8621/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Chang</a> doesn’t have to imagine. She knows. Because this happened to her. At that moment what she decided to do was yell out, <blockquote>“Where are you going to sleep tonight”?</blockquote>The girl stopped. Her shoulders quivered a bit. And Emily continued, “I have a spare room.”That girl became the first of sixteen people over the last 25 years to have been blessed to spend some of the darkest times of their lives in the respite of Emily Chang’s spare room.An abused child bride. An unwanted boy with hydrocephalus. A girl raised in a brothel. And over a dozen other young people whose lives were changed for the better in Emily’s spare room.<a href="https://amzn.to/327F808" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Emily documents their stories in her new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ru7gIX" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Spare Room: Define Your Social Legacy to Live a More Intentional Life and Lead with Authentic Purpose</a>. In the book, she not only shares their unforgettable stories, but the life and leadership lessons we can all learn from them.In this episode, Emily describes one of those young people lucky enough to spend some time in Emily’s spare room. Click the play button above to hear the story of Devon, a child bride thrown out of her own home.Emily Chang has worked in leadership positions at Procter &amp; Gamble, Apple, and Starbucks. Today she serves as the CEO of China for the global advertising giant, McCann. You can find Emily at <a href="https://social-legacy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://social-legacy.com/</a>.Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>.<a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas123/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Spare Room</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

The Spare Room

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿“Hi, my name’s John. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m the new CFO here at the airline.”“So f–ing what?”That’s the beginning of how a senior airline executive learned to put employees first in their leadership communication. My guest this week who shares that story is Gary Ross, who started his career as an Emmy-nominated TV news reporter. He then led the communications departments at Hyatt Hotels, CDW, and Fortune Brands. Today he’s a trainer, coach, and consultant for CEOs to help them tell their stories better and inspire their people.We work through several of Gary’s most important leadership communication lessons, including the difference between Transparency and Clarity. It turns out one of those things is an absolute necessity for leaders. The other is not. Click the play button above to listen to our conversation and find out which is which.1:00 – Being an Emmy-nominated TV reporter2:55 – Running Inside Comms consulting5:30 – Learning the value of putting employees first – Gary tells the story of an airline CFO getting cursed out by a production worker for bothering him on the job8:30 – how he put that lesson to work later as the CEO of CDW.15:08 – Articulating the difference between Transparency and Clarity.19:00 – Why meeting someone without anything to offer is just wasting their timeYou can find out more about Gary and his work at https://www.insidecomms.com/Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or Podbean. —Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author.  Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.Sign up for his newsletter here to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.The post Transparency vs. Clarity: One is Necessary for Good Leadership, One is Not appeared first on Paul Smith.

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿“Hi, my name’s John. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m the new CFO here at the airline.”“So f–ing what?”That’s the beginning of how a senior airline executive learned to put employees first in their leadership communication. My guest this week who shares that story is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garymross/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Gary Ross</a>, who started his career as an Emmy-nominated TV news reporter. He then led the communications departments at Hyatt Hotels, CDW, and Fortune Brands. Today he’s a trainer, coach, and consultant for CEOs to help them tell their stories better and inspire their people.We work through several of Gary’s most important <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/services/storytelling-for-leaders-and-influencers/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">leadership communication lessons</a>, including the difference between Transparency and Clarity. It turns out one of those things is an absolute necessity for leaders. The other is not. Click the play button above to listen to our conversation and find out which is which.<ul><li>1:00 – Being an Emmy-nominated TV reporter</li><li>2:55 – Running Inside Comms consulting</li><li>5:30 – Learning the value of putting employees first – Gary tells the story of an airline CFO getting cursed out by a production worker for bothering him on the job</li><li>8:30 – how he put that lesson to work later as the CEO of CDW.</li><li>15:08 – Articulating the difference between Transparency and Clarity.</li><li>19:00 – Why meeting someone without anything to offer is just wasting their time</li></ul>You can find out more about Gary and his work at <a href="https://www.insidecomms.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.insidecomms.com/</a>Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>. —<a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.Sign up for his newsletter <a href="http://eepurl.com/NsM2T" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas121/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transparency vs. Clarity: One is Necessary for Good Leadership, One is Not</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

Transparency vs. Clarity: One is Necessary for Good Leadership, One is Not

How Michael Brody-Waite went from a drug addict on the street to CEO and what you can learn about leadership from his journey.  read more The post What Drug Addiction Taught Me About Being a Better Leader appeared first on Paul Smith.

How Michael Brody-Waite went from a drug addict on the street to CEO and what you can learn about leadership from his journey. <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas122/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read more</a> The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas122/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What Drug Addiction Taught Me About Being a Better Leader</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

What Drug Addiction Taught Me About Being a Better Leader

Humor Engineer, Drew Tarvin, recently partnered with the Procter &amp; Gamble alumni organization to start a new podcast with former P&amp;G executives called Learning from Leaders, and it’s open to the public. Join me on this episode with Drew for a brief discussion about the podcast, some of its early guests, and some of the early insights from his interviews with these industry leaders. You can find Drew’s new podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and most of the podcast servers. Or, find it here: https://www.pgalums.com/podcast  To learn more about Drew, visit: humorthatworks.com. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean. —  Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Sign up for his newsletter here to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.  https://amzn.to/3hItHly The post Learning from Leaders appeared first on Paul Smith.

<a href="https://www.pgalums.com/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Humor Engineer, Drew Tarvin, recently partnered with the Procter &amp; Gamble alumni organization to start a new podcast with former P&amp;G executives called Learning from Leaders, and it’s open to the public. Join me on this episode with Drew for a brief discussion about the podcast, some of its early guests, and some of the early insights from his interviews with these industry leaders. You can find Drew’s new podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and most of the podcast servers. Or, find it here: <a href="https://www.pgalums.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pgalums.com/podcast </a> To learn more about Drew, visit: <a href="http://humorthatworks.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">humorthatworks.com</a>. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>. — <a href="/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Sign up for his newsletter <a href="http://eepurl.com/NsM2T" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox. <a href="https://amzn.to/3hItHly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://amzn.to/3hItHly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3hItHly</a> The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas120/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning from Leaders</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

Learning from Leaders

“Hey Paul, I’m thinking about writing a book. Can we talk? I’d love to get some advice.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten that email since my first book came out eight years ago. I usually end up spending an hour explaining everything I’ve learned about the subject. And I’m always happy to do so. But on my podcast this week, I had someone on who knows far more about it than I do — publisher and global credibility expert Mitchell Levy. And his method turns everything I thought I knew about getting books published on its head.   Click the play button above and listen to our conversation about:  3 reasons why people typically write a book What your “Customer Point of Pain” (CPOP) is My first mistake after writing a book Why asking “How do I sell more books” is the wrong question to ask Would you feel awkward introducing yourself as a “bestselling author” (Spoiler: I do.) Mitchell’s #1 technique for getting a book into people’s hands. Amazon’s KBD program How to be a bestselling author with only 10 hours effort  You can find out more about Mitchell at his website: mitchelllevy360.com. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean. —  Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Sign up for his newsletter here to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.  https://amzn.to/3hItHly The post The 10-hour Plan to Publish a Bestseller appeared first on Paul Smith.

“Hey Paul, I’m thinking about writing a book. Can we talk? I’d love to get some advice.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten that email since my first book came out eight years ago. I usually end up spending an hour explaining everything I’ve learned about the subject. And I’m always happy to do so. But on my podcast this week, I had someone on who knows far more about it than I do — publisher and global credibility expert <a href="https://mitchelllevy360.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Mitchell Levy</a>. And his method turns everything I thought I knew about getting books published on its head. Click the play button above and listen to our conversation about: <ul> <li>3 reasons why people typically write a book</li> <li>What your “Customer Point of Pain” (CPOP) is</li> <li>My first mistake after writing a book</li> <li>Why asking “How do I sell more books” is the wrong question to ask</li> <li>Would you feel awkward introducing yourself as a “bestselling author” (Spoiler: I do.)</li> <li>Mitchell’s #1 technique for getting a book into people’s hands.</li> <li>Amazon’s KBD program</li> <li>How to be a bestselling author with only 10 hours effort</li> </ul> You can find out more about Mitchell at his website: <a href="https://mitchelllevy360.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">mitchelllevy360.com</a>. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>. — <a href="/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author. Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Sign up for his newsletter <a href="http://eepurl.com/NsM2T" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox. <a href="https://amzn.to/3hItHly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://amzn.to/3hItHly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3hItHly</a> The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas119/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 10-hour Plan to Publish a Bestseller</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

The 10-hour Plan to Publish a Bestseller

Jason Hartman hasbeen earned a small fortune in real estate across 11 states and 17 cities. Hisoffice boasts pictures of him with Richard Branson, Jerry Seinfeld, SteveForbes, Tony Robbins, and Brittany Spears, among others. But he didn’t starthis most profitable business until he sold his real estate company and createda business that had never existed before. And that’s where this week’s lessoncomes in. Click play above to listen to my conversation with Jason where he’ll share what lead up to all that. We get to the first big lesson around the 14-minute mark, and number two starting at 16:30. Key Take AwayAfter listening, here’s my challenge to you: Over the next week, any time you find yourself wanting something that just doesn’t exist (yet), write it down. By the end of the week, you’ll have a whole list of great business ideas. You can find Jasonat www.jasonhartman.com or email himat Jason@jasonhartman.com. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean.—Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author.Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.Sign up for his newsletter here to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.The post From Frustration to Founder: Building a Business That Should Have Been There Already appeared first on Paul Smith.

Jason Hartman has been earned a small fortune in real estate across 11 states and 17 cities. His office boasts pictures of him with Richard Branson, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Forbes, Tony Robbins, and Brittany Spears, among others. But he didn’t start his most profitable business until he sold his real estate company and created a business that had never existed before. And that’s where this week’s lesson comes in. Click play above to listen to my conversation with Jason where he’ll share what lead up to all that. We get to the first big lesson around the 14-minute mark, and number two starting at 16:30. Key Take AwayAfter listening, here’s my challenge to you: Over the next week, any time you find yourself wanting something that just doesn’t exist (yet), write it down. By the end of the week, you’ll have a whole list of great business ideas. You can find Jason at <a href="http://www.jasonhartman.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.jasonhartman.com</a> or email him at Jason@jasonhartman.com. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>.—<a href="leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author.Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.Sign up for his newsletter <a href="http://eepurl.com/NsM2T" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.<a href="https://amzn.to/3fmbzwm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas118/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From Frustration to Founder: Building a Business That Should Have Been There Already</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

From Frustration to Founder: Building a Business That Should Have Been There Already

IMAGINE CONDUCTING this experiment. Put five monkeys in a cage with a bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. Underneath the bananas, place a ladder just tall enough to reach them. read more The post Monkeying around with corporate policy 2 appeared first on Paul Smith.

IMAGINE CONDUCTING this experiment. Put five monkeys in a cage with a bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. Underneath the bananas, place a ladder just tall enough to reach them. <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas117/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read more</a> The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas117/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monkeying around with corporate policy 2</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

Monkeying around with corporate policy 2

Confession: I was a little disappointed when I started reading this book and realized it was fiction. I thought I was reading a serious, non-fiction business book. But then I couldn’t put it down. And by the time I was done, it was my favorite business book I’ve read in the last year. That was just one of six true confessions I admitted to author Skip Prichard while interviewing him about The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future. Like an experienced novelist, Prichard weaves a magical tale of mystery and intrigue so captivating you won’t even realize you’re learning something important about your work and your life. I’d compare it to Eliyahu Goldratt’s The Goal. In fact, I think it’s better. As I do with all my podcasts, I’m including a little something below to read as a summary. But the summary is only a fraction of the value and enjoyment you’ll get out of listening to our conversation and reading the book. Click play above and join us to learn more about success, and the rest of my confessions. . . 9 Mistakes#1 – Working on Someone Else’s Dream – Don’t let your parents, spouse, friends, or strangers define your dreams for you. A life choreographed by someone else is not our finest performance. Live your own dream. (Another confession: I made this mistake 35 years ago and have regretted it ever since. Details in the interview at 18:15) #2 – Allowing Someone Else to Define Your Value – Don’t let other people slap a price tag on you and tell you what you’re good at and not good at. Don’t accept limitations others put on you. #3 – Accepting Excuses – If you want to take your life back, take your thoughts back. Excuses cannot withstand positive self-talk. #4 – Surrounding Yourself with the Wrong People – Don’t spend more time picking out your clothes than you spend picking out your friends. Your friends determine your fate because we emulate the people we spend time with. #5 – Staying in Your Comfort Zone – Mediocrity is the end result of too much comfort. Leaders consistently push beyond what’s comfortable. #6 – Allowing Temporary Setbacks to Become Permanent Failures – There’s nothing wrong with a setback. Just keep going. #7 – Trying to Blend In Instead of Standing Out – Most of us spend our lives learning to blend in when success is about standing out. Sameness makes you a commodity. #8 – Thinking There Is a Fixed and Limited Amount of Success Available – Success isn’t like pie. Just because other people have some doesn’t mean there’s less left over for you. Be motivated, not intimidated, by other people’s success. #9 – Believing You Have All the Time in the World – While there isn’t a limited amount of success in the world, there is a limited amount of time. Successful people have a sense of urgency. You can learn more at www.thebookofmistakes.com. And you can find Skip at www.skipprichard.com. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or Podbean.— Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author.Connect with him via email here. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.Sign up for his newsletter here to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.The post 9 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Future appeared first on Paul Smith.

Confession: I was a little disappointed when I started reading this book and realized it was fiction. I thought I was reading a serious, non-fiction business book. But then I couldn’t put it down. And by the time I was done, it was my favorite business book I’ve read in the last year. That was just one of six true confessions I admitted to author <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipprichard/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Skip Prichard</a> while interviewing him about <a href="https://amzn.to/3biEbFY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future</a>. Like an experienced novelist, Prichard weaves a magical tale of mystery and intrigue so captivating you won’t even realize you’re learning something important about your work and your life. I’d compare it to Eliyahu Goldratt’s <a href="https://amzn.to/2SmUYi9" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Goal</a>. In fact, I think it’s better. As I do with all my podcasts, I’m including a little something below to read as a summary. But the summary is only a fraction of the value and enjoyment you’ll get out of listening to our conversation and reading the book. Click play above and join us to learn more about success, and the rest of my confessions. . . 9 Mistakes#1 – Working on Someone Else’s Dream – Don’t let your parents, spouse, friends, or strangers define your dreams for you. A life choreographed by someone else is not our finest performance. Live your own dream. (Another confession: I made this mistake 35 years ago and have regretted it ever since. Details in the interview at 18:15) <a href="https://amzn.to/2v9EjXq" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a>#2 – Allowing Someone Else to Define Your Value – Don’t let other people slap a price tag on you and tell you what you’re good at and not good at. Don’t accept limitations others put on you. #3 – Accepting Excuses – If you want to take your life back, take your thoughts back. Excuses cannot withstand positive self-talk. #4 – Surrounding Yourself with the Wrong People – Don’t spend more time picking out your clothes than you spend picking out your friends. Your friends determine your fate because we emulate the people we spend time with. #5 – Staying in Your Comfort Zone – Mediocrity is the end result of too much comfort. Leaders consistently push beyond what’s comfortable. #6 – Allowing Temporary Setbacks to Become Permanent Failures – There’s nothing wrong with a setback. Just keep going. #7 – Trying to Blend In Instead of Standing Out – Most of us spend our lives learning to blend in when success is about standing out. Sameness makes you a commodity. #8 – Thinking There Is a Fixed and Limited Amount of Success Available – Success isn’t like pie. Just because other people have some doesn’t mean there’s less left over for you. Be motivated, not intimidated, by other people’s success. #9 – Believing You Have All the Time in the World – While there isn’t a limited amount of success in the world, there is a limited amount of time. Successful people have a sense of urgency. You can learn more at <a href="https://thebookofmistakes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.thebookofmistakes.com</a>. And you can find Skip at <a href="https://www.skipprichard.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.skipprichard.com</a>. Click these links to subscribe to this podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-story-podcast-series/id899678328?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/paul-smith/lead-with-a-story-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xtp58-3d2ae/Lead+with+a+Story+Podcast+%7C+Lessons+in+leadership+one+story+at+a+time" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Podbean</a>.—<a href="leadwithastory.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a> is one of the world’s leading experts on business storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and bestselling author.Connect with him via email <a href="mailto:paul@leadwithastory.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadWithAStory" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.Sign up for his newsletter <a href="http://eepurl.com/NsM2T" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to get one new story a week delivered to your inbox.<a href="https://amzn.to/2YZ6yFw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://amzn.to/1Okdq0K" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://amzn.to/2YYLFGN" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a>The post <a href="https://leadwithastory.com/lwas115/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Future</a> appeared first on <a href="https://leadwithastory.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Smith</a>.

9 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Future

Lessons in leadership, one story at a time – Based on interviews with 100 executives and leaders at dozens of successful companies around the world as they learned their most important leadership lessons – sometimes the hard way. Featuring stories from executives at Procter &amp; Gamble, Dollar General, Hewlett Packard, Kellogg’s, Dun &amp; Bradstreet, Saatchi &amp; Saatchi, Verizon, and many more. Each episode brings you an important lesson through a single compelling story.   21 Leadership Challenges from Lead with a Story: vision, commitment, change, recommendations, customer service, culture, values, collaboration, diversity, policy, inspiration, courage, passion for work, teach lessons, coaching &amp; feedback, problem solving, understand the customer, delegate, creativity, sales, and earn respect.

Paul Smith, host of the Lead with a Story podcast, highlights all aspects of leadership and more in this can’t miss podcast.  The host and expert guests offer insightful information and advice that is helpful to anyone that listens!

Awesome Podcast

If you like this show, as I do, you might like his other podcast Parenting With A Story.

By the way...

Lead with a Story Podcast

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Mental Health, Emotions & Thoughts

The best podcasts on investing. For anyone interested in the stories in the investing industry, whether it's an interview with Ray Dalio or Ed Thorp to the writer of The Big Short. This topic includes the most fascinating stories from all the best investors. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!