Don't wait: Recognize, communicate with top workers

What fighter pilots can teach leaders about good decisions | practice | Don't wait: Recognize, communicate with top workers Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( August 29, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [What fighter pilots can teach leaders about good decisions]( [What fighter pilots can teach leaders about good decisions]( (Pixabay) Fighter pilots must make quick decisions on limited information, and U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and Chief of Training Systems Hasard Lee has developed a three-part system -- the ACE Helix -- that can help leaders assess situations, use fast-forecasting to choose the best action and build the necessary resilience to execute plans, writes Michael McKinney. "The key to maximizing our mental resources is to focus only on what we have control over, which is the next decision to make," says Lee. Full Story: [Leadership Now]( (8/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: [Fighter pilots have a lot of confidence](, but that isn't an innate trait -- it's a skill everyone can learn, Lee says, "primarily through our internal dialogue -- how we talk to ourselves." Perfectionism and focusing on our mistakes creates self-doubt, which is detrimental to high-stakes decision-making, McKinney adds.   [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Don't wait: Recognize, communicate with top workers]( [Don't wait: Recognize, communicate with top workers]( (Simon McGill/Getty Images) Don't be too late to personally recognize, and even reward, your company's most effective colleagues. Keeping details about promotions, raises or future projects close to the vest can lead to frustration and unexpected exits, writes leadership expert Alaina Love. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (8/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Let valued colleagues know where they are on the succession chart, and [be truthful about timelines]( without hedging, Love recommends. Keep such colleagues challenged, and ensure budget cuts don't reduce their impact. [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Words matter in your company's success with DEI]( Most business leaders should change the way they talk about diversity, switching from the far more common and more positive values approach ("This is good for us") to a contingent one ("It's good, but we must overcome some challenges"), according to a new study. Co-author Lisa Leslie of New York University says leaders will find more success -- contrary to conventional wisdom, fewer negative results -- because employees tend to put more energy into challenges and often dismiss more straightforward mandates as inconsequential. Full Story: [Charter]( (8/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Training can help leaders change their framing of DEI initiatives and overcome unfounded concerns about appearing prejudiced. Messages can come from both senior and lower-level leaders and still be effective -- but they must be consistent. Also crucial: Leaders should be "[more explicit and clear about why they have a diversity initiative](," Leslie reports. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [The Newbies Guide to Internet Marketing]( - [Apache Kafka Essentials Cheatsheet]( - [12 Ways to Approach the Cybersecurity Skills Gap Challenge in 2023]( - [Data Center Acronyms Cheat Sheet]( - [ITPro Today's 2023 Salary Survey Report]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Beware the "Cobra Effect" in your teal management strategy]( People Development Network (8/27) [] - [Make change part of your team's job description]( NOBL Academy (8/25) [] - [Don't discount the possibilities of a direct-to-customer business]( McKinsey (8/24) [] SmartPulse [] How good are you at fulfilling commitments you set for responding to people's requests? I'm great: when I tell someone I'll get back to them by a certain date, I never fail to do so 30.77% I'm good: every once in a while I fail to meet a self-imposed deadline 57.90% I'm okay: I generally meet self-imposed deadlines but miss a bunch of them too 8.51% I'm not good: I often fail to meet response deadlines I set 2.02% I'm bad at it: It's rare that I meet a response deadline I set for myself and them 0.80% [] Commitments matter. Eighty-nine percent of you report meeting self-imposed commitments for responding to people's requests. Obviously this is great news especially because people on the receiving end of these commitments are planning their work according to what you tell them. It all comes down to communication. People understand if something comes up and a commitment needs to change, too. What's important is letting them know as soon as possible when you know the commitment will shift so they can change their plans accordingly. For those who are challenged with fulfilling commitments, ask yourself if it's because the deadlines you set are too aggressive or if it's because you don't hold yourself accountable. If it's the deadline setting, start padding your commitments by 25% and see if that makes things more manageable. If it's an accountability issue, impose consequences on yourself and focus on the negative impact your missed commitment might have on the other person. When we see how our actions affect others, we're more likely to live up to those commitments. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] What's your view of how veterans are treated in your organization? [Vote]( [They're highly respected and we see them as a diverse population that needs help]( [Vote]( [They're respected and we know they've faced some challenges but are basically equal to everyone else]( [Vote]( [They're not seen or treated any differently than any other employee]( [Vote]( [They're looked down upon and we make it tough for them to advance]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Mark Cuban: Difference between expectations, successes]( [Mark Cuban: Difference between expectations, successes]( Cuban (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) Giving instead of grabbing credit for successes and recognizing that raising money is an imperative, not an accomplishment, are two key leadership traits that politicians should adopt, asserts Mark Cuban, "Shark Tank" investor and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. "Maybe, someday, when politicians realize that results and attribution are important, not only will legislation lead to more positive impact, but will also lead to greater trust in government," Cuban says. Full Story: [TheStreet]( (8/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Why tuna fish hits all the right taste notes for cats]( [Why tuna fish hits all the right taste notes for cats]( (Pixabay) Most cats love tuna, and a new study shows two genes, Tas1r1 and Tas1r3, help cats to detect savory umami notes while felines also are especially fond of the histidine and inosine monophosphate compounds found at high levels in tuna. This knowledge can be useful in developing foods that cats like and creating more palatable ways of administering medications -- which is great news for cat owners who have ever given blood while trying to pill their cat. Full Story: [Science (tiered subscription model)]( (8/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the Organic Act, which established what? [Vote]( [FDA]( [Vote]( [National Park Service]( [Vote]( [National Science Foundation]( [Vote]( [USDA]( [] Editor's Note [] [OpenAI's Zack Kass to lead off AI Impact Summit]( [OpenAI's Zack Kass to lead off AI Impact Summit]( (SmartBrief) SmartBrief's inaugural virtual [AI Impact Summit](, Sept. 27 to 28, will feature OpenAI's Zack Kass as the opening keynote speaker. The event will explore business, marketing, tech and other topics, such as AI and digital trust, developing a generative AI product, a marketing case study and a talk with AI for the People's Mutale Nkonde, who sits on the TikTok Content Moderation Advisory Board. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Marketing]( (8/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I'm typing with an injury to my finger and arm this morning because I made the mistake of picking up my kitten, Bryan, when he was in an agitated state. I have some calming chews for him, but he refuses to take them as a treat. I grind them up in his food, but he still manages not to get the full dose. This is why I am excited about [the research around what kind of tastes cats enjoy]( so someone can come up with calming medication that he will gladly gobble down. It could save me on the cost of band-aids and blood loss. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And remember to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] A good narrative is a rudimentary structure, rather like a kidney. [John Cheever](, writer [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036