McKinnon Leadership Group

It was wonderful to spend time with my friends Tim Flanagan Jr, CLU, ChFC, CFP, ChSNC, CFBS and Amanda Kramer on the Winning Through Culture podcast. Among a number of leadership topics, we discussed... 1) The difference between a role and an identity 2) My book, Lead Like You Were Meant To 3) How organizations can encourage leaders to lead from authenticity You can listen to the full clip here: https://lnkd.in/eT6jntJd Enjoy this short clip about how I coach leaders to use curiosity to test their assumptions. McKinnon Leadership Group

Last week had a sad ending here in Charlottesville. Tony Bennett, head coach of men’s basketball at the University of Virginia, announced suddenly that he was retiring, effective immediately. In his 15 years, Bennett was twice named coach of the year, his teams winning six conference titles and an NCAA championship. He is beloved for his impact with athletes on the court, and in their personal lives off the court. A central element of Bennett's leadership legacy is his Five Pillars: Humility, Passion, Unity, Servanthood, & Thankfulness. These guiding principles have been an inspiration to me and to many others. In my Note to Leaders this month, I consider his guiding principles and invite readers to reflect. What are your enduring principles that guide you? What principles guide your team? #TonyBennett #Leadership #TheFivePillars #LeadershipPrinciples Read my Note: https://lnkd.in/eG3QiGY9

Does your work contribute to your happiness or take away from it? We spend more of our lifetime working than any other activity, so it's fair to ask yourself this question. I offer a simple, practical framework for your reflection. To be really happy with your work, you must be able to connect your work to one or more parts of your #spiritualdimension. Your spiritual dimension is deep within you, and it influences everything you do. That’s why most of our work with leaders is about helping them gain self-awareness, not just spiritually, but also physically, intellectually, and emotionally. I offer a simplified framework for understanding your own spiritual dimension. Consider your day-to-day work against these parts of your spiritual dimension: • Identity (Who I am): How does who I know myself to be align with my identity at work? Am I able to be ME? • Purpose (Why I am here): Do I see opportunities in my work to manifest a purpose that is meaningful to me? • Beliefs (What I believe): Does my work setting make room for what I believe is right and true? How does what I believe align with the work I do each day? • Values (What I want): How do the results of my efforts take me closer to getting what I really want in life? Work will always be ‘work’. But, how can you begin to build a rewarding work life? I'm curious to hear additional thoughts on this. (By the way, organizations have spiritual dimensions too. Use these questions to reflect on your company culture as well.) McKinnon Leadership Group #leadership #TheMcKinnonWay #corebeliefs #values

What do you do when you feel “used-up”? In our latest issue of Notes to Leaders, McKinnon coach Shannon Dew writes about the influence of non-resourceful beliefs in driving #burnout in #leadership. "Some might tell you to 'take some time off' or 'delegate more'. While these suggestions can be helpful, they are tactical responses that fail to address the core problem." 📖 Read the full newsletter https://lnkd.in/gdNFVCzW 📨 Subscribe to receive Notes to Leaders in your inbox https://lnkd.in/g_H4miNU #NotesToLeaders #TheMcKinnonWay #FourDimensionalLeadership

Why are authentic leaders so effective? They have a heightened awareness of their spiritual dimension. They've spent time learning about themselves—their identity, purpose, and values. They know who they are and lead out of this self-knowledge. The more people see you as authentic, the greater chance they will trust you, and, in turn, give you their best. Without authentic leadership, it’s only a matter of time before #trust deteriorates, and without trust, teams become dysfunctional. How do you lead from your spiritual dimension? This is a big question—one we spend a lot of time discussing with leaders in #TheMcKinnonWay. The first step is greater awareness. In coaching, I use prompts to help leaders start this journey toward spiritual self-awareness. Consider how you would complete these prompts: 'I feel most alive when…' 'I want my legacy to be…' 'I find my greatest joy in…' Spend time reflecting on these prompts, and see what they reveal about your core. Authentic leadership starts with knowing yourself. #Leadership #Authenticity #TrustInLeadership #FourDimensionalLeadership #SelfAwareness

If you are in #companyleadership and you are burning out, start by addressing your meeting schedule. What can you say no to? What are the non-negotiables?

Approximately HALF of US employees say they are stressed "a lot of the day". While this figure is down from 66% at the height of the pandemic, chronic stress in the workplace is still an issue #companyleaders need to address in 2024. In small doses, stress can be really good for stimulating action. Under stress, the brain releases adrenaline and cortisol to keep us alert and focused. This can be incredibly beneficial for high stakes work like tight deadlines and consequential meetings. On the other hand, prolonged #stress leads to #burnout and negatively impacts performance in the #workplace. It interferes with the hippocampus, a critical part of the brain involved in memory and learning. Stressed #leaders are poorly equipped to think creatively and drive long term performance. There are a number of strategies for regulating stress. Here are a few approaches: Get regular physical exercise Practice mindfulness by assessing your own thoughts. After noticing your stress, ask yourself "What exactly do I want?" Turn to gratitude. Ask yourself, "What am I thankful for?" Leaders, is chronic stress a reality in your #companyculture? Data from Gallup

What does it mean to "lead up"? This is sometimes called "managing up" or "managing your manager". Leading up is an important skill for anyone on a #leadership team reporting to another senior leader. As a leadership coach, I frequently witness some version of the following #autopilot cycle from leaders who don’t lead up: Waiting → Assuming → Complaining → Avoiding Waiting: "My boss needs to reach out to me. They’ll reach out to me when they’re ready. Why aren’t they reaching out to me?" Assuming: "They’re not interested in my problem. They don’t have time for me. Maybe they’re avoiding me? I don’t think they want to hear my thoughts or solutions." Complaining: "They don’t give clear direction. They keep changing direction. They don’t tell me what they want from me. They don’t care about their people." Avoiding: "I’m just going to keep my head down and focus on what’s in front of me. I’m going to do my work and keep my mouth shut. I’ll stay close to those I can trust and avoid those I can’t." Consider this more creative cycle for leading up: Acting → Asking → Sharing → Inviting ACT, rather than Wait. "I’m going to reach out and ask for some time to talk with my supervisor." ASK, rather than Assume: "I’m going to ask clarifying questions to better understand their perspective. I’m going to ask how I can be more helpful in my communication with them." SHARE, rather than Complain: "I’m going to share what I am observing that might be of interest to them. I’m going to offer an idea about how our company could do things better." INVITE, rather than Avoid: "I’ll invite my leader to drop in for my team’s meeting next week." Which cycle are you in? #TheMcKinnonWay #FourDimensionalLeadership

Do you feel "used up"? In 2021, a survey from DDI | Development Dimensions International found that nearly 60% of #leaders feel “used up” at the end of the workday. In 1-on-1 engagements with leaders, I notice many are feeling “used up” in more than one dimension of their being. They are physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually drained. So, what do you do when you feel “used-up”? Some might tell you to “take some time off” or “delegate more”. While these suggestions can be helpful, they are tactical adjustments that do not address the core issue. So, let’s go a little deeper. In #leadershipcoaching engagements, we look for the root cause of a leader’s behavior - the problem beneath the surface. In the case of #burnout, I try to help leaders identify their non-resourceful beliefs. Often buried deep within their spiritual dimension, these beliefs are hidden from others and from the leader themselves. Here's an example... “If I am not needed, I am not valuable.” This belief leads to #micromanagement and overwork. Out of a need to feel worthy, leaders with this non-resourceful belief create systems that are highly dependent on them. They end up working too much and struggle to trust their team and delegate. Have you identified your non-resourceful beliefs? Are they a cause of burnout for you? McKinnon Leadership Group #TheMcKinnonWay #FourDimensionalLeadership

Who wins the arguments in your head? Your imagination is an incredible resource for working through conflict and assessing alternative approaches to problems in work and life. Your internal dialogues reveal a lot about how you see yourself in a conflict. The #KarpmanDramaTriangle is a helpful self-awareness tool to help you notice your own stance in a conflict and make mindful #adjustments. The triangle identifies three roles in conflict with their own stance: The Hero (or rescuer): "Let me help you." The Villain (or persecutor): "It's all your fault." The Victim: "Poor me!" It’s likely you've played all of these roles at some point in the #workplace or in your family system. Each role in the triangle is driven by a non-resourceful belief. For example, the Hero might believe, "If I'm not involved, nothing will get done." In "The Power of TED," David Emerald suggests a set of ➡ shifts for empowering a team stuck in conflict: The Hero ➡ The Coach: A Coach doesn’t always have the answers, but they ask questions that guide the team toward positive outcomes, leading to less micromanagement and better delegation. The Villain ➡ The Challenger: The Challenger becomes a constructive partner, pushing the team to deepen problem-solving without playing the blame game. The Victim ➡ The Creator: The Creator sees themselves as capable and resilient, moving away from dependency and towards real solutions. As #leaders, recognizing the roles we play in conflicts is crucial for fostering a healthy #workplaceculture. 💭 Think of a conflict in your work or personal life right now. Which character are you, and how can you shift your role to lead more effectively? #Leadership #ConflictResolution #SelfAwareness #TheMcKinnonWay McKinnon Leadership Group