Need time away? What to consider and how to ask

Eliminate muttering and cynicism by protecting your team | practice | Need time away? What to consider and how to ask Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( September 19, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [Eliminate muttering and cynicism by protecting your team]( Eliminate muttering and cynicism by protecting your team (Maria Stavreva/Getty Images) Leaders create a sense of psychological safety for their teams by taking responsibility not just for their own actions, but for those of their team instead of blaming others or "throwing them under the bus," write Gregg Vanourek and Bob Vanourek. "Leaders who don't get this right will destroy the sense that they're all in this together -- and invite muttering and cynicism to their team," they write. Full Story: [Triple Crown Leadership]( (9/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: [Gregg and Bob Vanourek offer several examples]( of how leaders can have their team's back including finding ways to keep staff on when other companies are laying employees off, giving team members a second chance after a failure and taking time to help others prepare for meetings or presentations to ensure success. "The world is a much better place when we have each other's backs." [Investment outsourcing is like ice cream]( What do investment outsourcing and ice cream have in common? They both come in many flavors. The best OCIO providers understand that OCIO is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and offer customized solutions that align with an organization's goals. [Find out more.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Need time away? What to consider and how to ask]( [Need time away? What to consider and how to ask]( (Westend61/Getty Images) Spending some time away from work is crucial for a good work-life balance and can "help us return to the job each day refreshed, relaxed and more able to take on more considerable challenges and achieve better results," writes Joel Garfinkle, executive coach and author. Volunteering, using your company's tuition reimbursement and tackling inspirational projects are among Garfinkle's suggestions. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (9/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Find the right -- ideally stress-free -- time to approach your manager about your request. Share your reasons, but [focus more on the benefits to the company]( than to you personally, and be prepared with alternatives if your preferred idea is declined, Garfinkle says. [] [Read more]( from Joel Garfinkle on SmartBrief on Leadership News. Without Motives. That's 1440 Tired of getting your news from opinionated, biased news sources? Skip the opinions and get just the facts in a single, daily briefing. Find topics on politics, business, science, sports, culture, and more. [Join 1440 now!]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [To whom it may concern: You're truly old-fashioned. Ta!]( Communication styles for Generation Z -- people between 18 and 24 -- have been informed by social media and messaging, whereas traditional letter-writing has shaped communication for older workers. That's leading to more casual communication in the office and the likely workplace disappearance soon of phrases like "Yours truly," "Yours sincerely" and "To whom it may concern," according to research from Barclays LifeSkills. Full Story: [CNBC]( (9/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: "Thanks!" and "Thanks so much" are more popular, as they are considered more friendly, but ["Ta!" -- a British way to say goodbye -- may be too familiar,]( the research shows. Laura Bailey of the University of Kent recommends avoiding being overly familiar but ensuring your tone can't come across as rude. Also, Bailey says, consider communicating in the way the recipient would most prefer, whether email or short message.   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 [] - [Use a culture deck to boost company success]( Forbes (tiered subscription model) (9/18) [] - [How to make your strategy less wrong over time]( Digital Tonto blog (9/17) [] - [Survey: Renewed recession fears dim CEOs' economic optimism]( Chief Executive (9/18) [] SmartPulse [] How robust are your organization's crisis response contingency plans? Extremely: we're ready for anything and can get operations back online quickly 13.16% Very: we're prepared for most crises and have adequate contingency plans 47.37% Somewhat: we're ready for common crises but would struggle with others 28.95% Not very: if we face a crisis, we'll be challenged to get through it 7.89% Not at all: if a crisis hits, we're doomed 2.63% [] Be prepared. Only 60% of you responded that you're well-prepared for a crisis or emergency. For the 40% who aren't, it's easy to put off that preparation with the notion that a crisis will be a rare occurrence. Unfortunately crises happen every day but we perceive them to be infrequent. Wars, pandemics, natural disasters, civil unrest, bankruptcies, financial crises ... the list goes on and on. It's well worth the investment of creating contingency plans and having the infrastructure in place to be able to continue business operations quickly in the face of a crisis. Having that plan in place can be the difference between tremendous success and abject failure. -- 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]( [] How well do people in your organization respect confidentiality when dealing with other organizations? [Vote]( [Extremely well: we never disclose someone's information to a third party]( [Vote]( [Very well: we occasionally slip and accidentally disclose information]( [Vote]( [Well: we keep sensitive information confidential but sometimes share other topics]( [Vote]( [Not well: we have a hard time keeping information confidential]( [Vote]( [Poorly: we routinely share confidential information that shouldn't be shared]( [] In Their Own Words [] [4 elements of a transformational leadership mindset]( [4 elements of a transformational leadership mindset]( (Pixabay) In this disruptive environment where it's hard enough to keep up, much less get ahead, leaders need to master the four elements of a transformation mindset for sensing change, then creating and implementing a strategy, writes Adam Bennett, of Great Change Consulting. "Cultivating the right mindset will be key to how you sense what's changing in the world, the strategic response you develop and whether you can then implement it," Bennett writes. Full Story: [CEOWorld Magazine]( (9/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Out of this world photography wins top contest prizes]( A trio of amateur astronomers has won the top prize in the 15th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest, organized by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, for their image of the Andromeda Galaxy and a nearby plasma arc. Other winning images include the Running Chicken Nebula, which is located in the constellation of Centaurus, and an image of the sun which appears to show a large question mark on the surface. Full Story: [My Modern Met]( (9/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] The record for paid attendance at a women's sporting event was recently broken when the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's varsity volleyball team hosted Omaha Mavericks. How many saw the match live? [Vote]( [15,000]( [Vote]( [37,991]( [Vote]( [45,092]( [Vote]( [92,003]( [] Editor's Note [] [Summit to explore AI applications, implications]( [Summit to explore AI applications, implications]( SmartBrief's virtual AI Impact Summit on Sept. 27 and 28 will provide professionals across industries and business functions with insights into the current and future implications of artificial intelligence. Breakout sessions on Day 1 feature experts on AI in health care, tech, infrastructure, manufacturing and supply chain, banking and finance, retail and education. Day 2 focuses on AI as it relates to the customer experience and to leadership, and breakout sessions focus on marketing, leadership, operations, business and accelerating innovation. [Learn more]( and [register today](! Full Story: [SmartBrief/Technology]( (8/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I have worked in far too many places where you have to watch your own back because you know that [your higher-ups are not watching out for you](. It's a stressful environment that often makes you question your abilities. As leaders, it's our responsibility to create a culture where our team members feel safe to stretch themselves, make mistakes, learn from them and then improve. This is the rocket fuel of leadership. Do you have the backs of your team members? Are you ready to take responsibility, even when they make mistakes? How have you handled situations where employees get thrown under the bus? [Let me know](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! 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 don't forget 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 [] [] What I tell my students is that they must persevere. ... Yes, we still have racism and prejudice, but we must persevere. [Sylvia Mendez](, civil rights activist, nurse National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 [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