Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes

Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes | practice | Are you an "I'm not their babysitter" manager? Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( October 3, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes]( [Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes]( (Bulat Silvia/Getty Images) Larger-than-life leaders get a lot of attention, but those who focus on more subtle details by being vulnerable and creating a positive culture of collective responsibility with a focus on manageable workloads will have more long-term success, writes psychologist, author and consultant Kathy Miller Perkins. "So, the next time the drumbeat of 'go big or go home' echoes in your ears, remember: True leadership might flourish in the nuances -- the understated, the straightforward and the elements often deemed trivial," Miller Perkins writes. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (10/30) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: "Heroic" forms of leadership never last for long, [writes Miller Perkins](, because they only provide temporary motivation, tend to oversimplify problems and make the team fully dependent on their leader. "When leaders frame themselves as 'saviors' who will fix everything, the culture develops dependency characteristics," Miller Perkins notes. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Retirement at a Glance]( Stay up to date on capital markets and the retirement industry with our quick insights and information. [Find out more.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Are you an "I'm not their babysitter" manager?]( [Are you an "I'm not their babysitter" manager?]( (id-work/Getty Images) Leaders who avoid conflict often use narratives -- such as "I shouldn't have to babysit my employees" -- to justify their own behavior, which can have negative consequences, consultant and author Marlene Chism writes. To prevent this, it's important to redefine what babysitting means, clarify expectations with your team, and review and retool policies. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (10/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Leaders may also hire a coach to help develop conflict management skills and ways to address inappropriate behavior. In addition, Chism advises leaders not to ["take the bait" when called a micromanager or unfair](. [] [Read more]( from Marlene Chism on SmartBrief on Leadership [Webinar: Keys to solopreneur success]( What are the first steps to making this move? What are the potential landmines and how do you avoid them? How do you set up support systems? How do you secure benefits for your ongoing health? [Register now]( for the 10/10 webinar (2pm ET) and find answers and best practices from workplace futurist Kerry Hannon. ADVERTISEMENT [] Smarter Communication [] [When good messages go bad]( "Being flawlessly clear in your communication is one of the absolute requirements of leadership," because anything less is likely to get filtered, misinterpreted or bent to suit the recipient's situation, according to an excerpt from "Leadership for Engineers: How To Turn Perfectly Good STEM Professionals Into Management" by Mike Kotecki. The five nuances of message creation show where things can go wrong and offer lessons for improvement, Kotecki says. Full Story: [Tanveer Naseer]( (9/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Determine if you really need to share a message; if so, be brief. Ask yourself if your phrasing holds the risk of misinterpretation, [know that putting it in writing means it will live forever]( and follow some of Kotecki's style and content tips. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Nonverbal Communications Skills -- The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [Best Practices for Email Etiquette]( - [11 Habits That Will Give You A Complete And Successful Life]( - [Creating Positive Habits - The Ultimate Guide]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Does your company have the top traits of an agile organization?]( Chief Learning Officer (10/2023) [] - [Why companies must widen their focus from ESG]( INSEAD Knowledge (10/2) [] - [Take a horizontal perspective to create better strategy]( N2Growth (10/2) [] SmartPulse [] When you see a peer being wildly successful, how do you usually react? I cheer them on and am genuinely happy for them 46.09% I'm happy for them but I get jealous or competitive 25.89% I feel afraid I'll get left behind and get more competitive 15.27% I actively try to slow their progress so I can catch up 12.75% [] Support or sabotage? When a colleague is successful, a large portion (47%) of you report fully supporting their success. The specter of jealousy rears its ugly head for the rest of you. 26% of you are happy for them but get unnerved and more competitive - which is a normal reaction. What's alarming is that 15% of you feel like you're losing ground and get even more competitive. The scary number is the 13% of you who actively try to slow your colleague's progress so you can catch up to them. This amounts to sabotage, and it's not good for anyone involved. It harms your colleague, which, in turn, damages the organization. It also hurts you. It can result in you being branded as a saboteur rather than a team player. The approach is generally unsuccessful because you spend so much time and energy slowing them down instead of investing that time and energy in your own development and improvement. If you find yourself in this final group, try to reorient your focus on productive pursuits instead of hampering the efforts of others. -- 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]( [] Which form of recognition do you find the most valuable? [Vote]( [Praise in front of a group]( [Vote]( [A personal one-on-one thank you]( [Vote]( [A handwritten thank you note]( [Vote]( [Cold, hard cash]( [Vote]( [Additional time off]( [Vote]( [A personalized gift]( [Vote]( [Something else]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Whole Foods CEO on giving employees new opportunities]( [Whole Foods CEO on giving employees new opportunities]( Buechel (Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images) Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel has taken the lead in developing programs to help retain employees by offering coaching, mentoring and opportunities to advance, and says listening to employees is key to discerning their needs. "Team members not only see their current next-step opportunities, but they see the growth and support they're going to have at future levels as well," Buechel says. Full Story: [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)]( (9/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [A federal agency's new album]( Move over, K-Tel -- the next big compilation album is from...the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission? Social media specialist-turned-album producer Joseph Galbo explains how the federal government got into the music business this year. Full Story: [Mix]( (9/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [BloombergNEF's Bhashyam offers a framework for US hydrogen guidance]( Much-anticipated guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department is set to define how clean hydrogen can be produced in the US. Amid furious lobbying efforts, the release of the guidance has already been delayed once. With potentially hundreds of billions of dollars on the line, Adi Bhashyam, a hydrogen analyst for BloombergNEF, shares what he describes as a framework that should be followed for thoughtfully crafting and effectively implementing the hydrogen aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act. Full Story: [Renewable Energy SmartPod]( (9/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] Actor Rock Hudson's AIDS-related death in October 1985, drew attention to the mostly mysterious disease that killed 6,000 that year. In 2022, how many people worldwide died from AIDS-related illnesses? [Vote]( [15,000]( [Vote]( [630,000]( [Vote]( [1.1 million]( [Vote]( [1.4 million]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I admit I went down the rabbit hole at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety YouTube page listening to their [entire album on safety](. "Protect Your Noggin'" -- about bike safety -- stayed on replay for a good bit, and "Phone Away" is a nice little jam, too. [Check out the whole album]( for your new earworm. 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 [] [] You just do it. That's what acting is. [Michael Gambon](, actor 1940-2023 [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