How an executive coach can help leaders see blind spots

Leadership lessons from a bowl of oatmeal | practice | How an executive coach can help leaders see blind spots Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( October 6, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Leadership lessons from a bowl of oatmeal]( [Leadership lessons from a bowl of oatmeal]( (Pixabay) Habits can often become our identities, as executive coach Ken Downer discovered after eating oatmeal every week with a group of his friends as he trained for a race, only to cause consternation around the table when he ordered a different breakfast in celebration of finishing the race -- a reaction that taught him the importance of choosing how we want to be seen as leaders and developing habits to support that. "The oatmeal habit taught me that the more we do those things, the more we become the kinds of people who do those things, and the easier it becomes to keep doing them," Downer writes. Full Story: [Rapid Start Leadership]( (10/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: In the eyes of his breakfast companions, [Downer had become the kind of person who eats oatmeal](, leading him to reflect on how we should be intentional about what actions become habitual. "And if social support doesn't come around, there may be some value in changing the environment so that we can tap into the powers of encouragement from others." Flying solo: Keys to solopreneur success What does it take to fly solo in your career and succeed? What resources and support systems do you need to have in place to be sustainable? Learn from workplace futurist Kerry Hannon as she outlines the pathway to solopreneurship success. [Register for the webinar]( (10/10/23 at 2pm ET) ADVERTISEMENT [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [How an executive coach can help leaders see blind spots]( [How an executive coach can help leaders see blind spots]( (Hill Street Studios/Getty Images) Leaders can sharpen their skills by working with an executive coach to help them see the value of feedback and provide insight into the best ways to build trust with all stakeholders, authors Jacquelyn Lane and Scott Osman told John Baldoni in an interview about their new book, "Becoming Coachable." Coahing, Lane says, "helps you become more self-aware, it helps you understand your blind spots and how to be in better relationship with all those people." Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (10/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: As coaches, Lane and Osman remind leaders that they don't "own their face" because what they do and say and, ultimately, the attitudes they express represent the company. [Osman says such a realization]( can help leaders check their ego at the door and "recognize that my expressions don't have to be an expression of me. They need to be an expression of who I am as a leader. And that [notion] is very transformational." [] [Read more]( from John Baldoni on SmartBrief on Leadership   [] Smarter Communication [] [Use these 5 questions to have a meaningful conversation]( Make conversations more meaningful by asking the other party what they want out of your talk, then posing questions that seek to reveal their wants, desires and challenges and wrapping up by asking them to summarize any insights they've had, writes Dan Rockwell. "The only reason to open your mouth is to make something better. Determine what better looks like before you open your mouth," Rockwell advises. Full Story: [Leadership Freak]( (10/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Help your conversation partners think more deeply about your subject by asking questions such as "What are you trying to accomplish?" and "What's holding you back?" [Rockwell suggests following up]( by asking them if they found the conversation useful. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [The Communication Process: Skills to achieve desired outcomes]( - [Microsoft Excel: Unlocking the Power of Spreadsheets]( - [The Top 75 Leadership Quotes of 2023 - Part 1]( - [ChatGPT Newbie: Your Essential Handbook for Navigating ChatGPT]( - [The Visual You - Why Body Language Matters When You Speak]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [What Guatemalan cookstoves can teach leaders about change management]( Strategy+Business (10/2) [] - [4 strategies to manage your hybrid workforce]( Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (10/2) [] - [Handling the new extreme VUCA environment]( Insights With Impact (10/1) [] Smarter Living Get your mind and body right each Friday [] [Small amounts of activity may help prevent health issues]( Small amounts of activity may help prevent health issues (Pixabay) Short bouts of physical activity, including those associated with simple daily tasks, can have recognizable health benefits according to research published in the journal [The Lancet Public Health.]( Walking, tending a garden or doing household chores daily may reduce risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death, and even people who are active for as little as a few minutes a day see positive effects, researchers said. Full Story: [NBC News]( (9/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [How unhealthy cheesecakes point to healthy malls]( [How unhealthy cheesecakes point to healthy malls]( (Mark Morgan/Flickr) Malls are on financially shaky ground these days, but ones with a Cheesecake Factory are financially better off than those without, as data from Moody's Analytics found that 73% of loans backed by malls without the restaurant are current on payments compared to 93% with one. The reason seems to be that the Cheesecake Factory -- as well as other stores such as Apple or Lululemon -- are main attractions for shoppers, who then happen to browse other shops. Full Story: [Axios]( (10/3) [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 [] Oct. 6 is World Smile Day. Who created the iconic yellow smiley face? [Vote]( [Sergio Aragones]( [Vote]( [Harvey Ball]( [Vote]( [Robert Indiana]( [Vote]( [Sylvester P. Smythe]( [] Editor's Note [] SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Oct. 9 In observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Oct. 9. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I was struck by the profound lesson in [Ken Downer's tale about how his choice of oatmeal at breakfast]( quickly became what his friends knew him for, which accounts for their consternation when he ordered his extravagant celebratory breakfast. That, coupled with the reminder [from executive coaches Jacquelyn Lane and Scott Osman]( that leaders "don't own their face," means leaders must be very mindful and deliberate about the habits they form. One of the musicians at my spiritual community is always late. It's happened so frequently that we assume this will be the case. When he's on time (and especially when he's early), we all comment on it, expressing our surprise. This is an example of a bad habit for leaders, but our shock (and congratulations) when he's on time doesn't move the needle. He quickly reverts back to his lateness habit. I invite you to reflect on what you're known for as a leader. Is it something you want as your identity? If not, it's time to reassess those habits and find and develop new ones. In the meantime, I'm having oatmeal for breakfast. Enjoy your weekend! 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. 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