Leadership: The Irony of Disruption by Business Motivational Speaker Connie Podesta Scan the pages of any business publication, and you’ll come away with the message that successful leaders are supposed to innovate. Disrupt. Push the envelope. Think outside the box. Break the rules. Oh yes, disruption is very trendy right now. Let’s dive into that. Businesses have played a bit of a semantics game with the word “disruption.” For most of our lives, disruption was something to be avoided because it led to discord, turmoil, and problems. Not a healthy environment in which to do work or Read More
Quit Talking So Much
By Communication Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Raise your hand if you’re a “talker”. I know I’ve been guilty of it. I remember as a kid, a teacher saying to me that I wouldn’t amount to much because I talked too much! Fortunately for me, I grew up to be a keynote speaker, so I learned to leverage that particular skill! As a former therapist and human relationship expert, I’ve also learned a whole lot since those school days about what connects us and what divides us as human beings. As leaders, spouses, partners, parents, friends – all of those roles require communication skills. In Read More
Quit Moving on When the Sale is Closed
By Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker Let’s be clear salespeople – if you’re only in it for the money, you’re leaving money on the table. How’s that for an attention-getter? Sales is an amazing industry, often with sky’s-the-limit earning potential, but you and I both know that there are plenty of people in it just for the quick dollar, not the long-term customer relationship. You know the ones, right? Those who literally move on to find their next deal before the ink is dry on the sale they just closed? Here’s what you are missing: The lifetime value of a client. Personally, more than Read More
Lead Like You Mean it!
The Psychology and Leadership Connection by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta I was recently interviewed by a member of the California Special Districts ahead of their CSDA’s Annual Conference in September. The topic was leadership -- and the message (for the article and the keynote) is how leaders can use the power of psychology to help them drive bottom-line results for their teams. Psychology = profits and productivity. I shared, that for most people, their JOB isn't actually the thing that holds a team member back. It's the PEOPLE that they work with and an inability to Read More
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Here’s a question for you. What are three words that make managers want to run the other way? Open Door Policy. The original intent of an “Open Door Policy” was to create a communication mechanism to ensure that employees would feel free to honestly discuss key issues without fear of retribution or, even worse, losing their jobs. In other words, not only would a leader’s door be open but, hopefully, so would their mind. However, over time that concept has expanded and become an excuse for some employees to also feel free to complain. About Read More
Quit Trying to Make Everyone Happy
Leadership Lessons for Today’s World By Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta When did it become our job to make other people happy? Our kids? Our partners? The people on our team who follow our lead? Isn’t it about all we can do on most days just to make ourselves happy? Somewhere along the way, managers have been told by well-meaning people (and probably a few motivational speakers) that one of their priorities is to make sure all of their employees are happy. WRONG! Psychologically, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make someone else happy. I know you know that. You’ve certainly tried hard Read More
Quit Being Afraid to Fire People!
It’s Time for a Change of Perspective By Keynote Speaker and Leadership Expert Connie Podesta I totally get it! Psychologically, for most people, firing someone is one of the hardest things about being a leader. They obsess over it, lose sleep over it, and even get physically sick over it! Most of all they feel guilty –really guilty—about it. The question is: why do they take on what isn’t theirs to take on? The answer: because they feel responsible for “causing” another person to lose their job. So let’s get rid of the guilt and look at firing from an entirely different Read More
Quit Avoiding Documentation
The Proof-Gathering Side of Leadership In courtrooms, decisions are made based on actual proof. Hard evidence. Indisputable facts. The same principle should apply to leaders who determine the next career steps for their employees. The key word there is “should.” Unfortunately, it often doesn’t happen that way. I know that firsthand from my years of experience in HR. Leaders would show up to my office with an urgent request to fire a trouble-making employee, and I was more than happy to assist with that process. But when I asked for a copy of the file that documented the poor Read More
Quit Unknowingly Penalizing Top Performers
It Could Cost You Top Talent by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Throw out that statement and prepare for some serious pushback. I know because I’ve done it. And the response is…well, passionate. And a bit defensive. “No way! I reward them and recognize them every chance I get! They’re my rock stars!” “Are you kidding me? I worship my top performers! They carry the weight for the whole team!” “I would NEVER do anything to undermine them! They always go above and beyond.” Here’s the thing: Leaders wouldn’t intentionally penalize their top performers, but it might be Read More
Customer Service Problem? Maybe Not!
Quit Ignoring Unacceptable Behaviors and Attitudes by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Consider this scenario. When the report says customer satisfaction is way down, the manager wants to get to the bottom of it. The questions are fast and furious. Have the salespeople fallen down on the job? What’s the standard script for the customer service staff when calls come in? Are the clients becoming pickier because of the tough economy? Perhaps a competitor is starting to offer better products and features, so we are no longer measuring up. In the business world, there are Read More