You asked for it: Part Two of the inspirational leadership quotes from our most recent Leadercast Now interviews! We spoke with emerging leaders and long-time trailblazers; community advocates and communication experts; authors, coaches, technologists and a career happiness officer. These speakers shared their leadership stories and challenges to help you develop your own leadership skills and style.
Throughout the year we’ll be sharing their videos, blogs and recommended actions; in the meantime, here are a few quick pearls to ponder:
“The three best practices for leaders [to successfully lead Millennials] are: one, acknowledge the narrow bias and mindset we have toward Millennials; two, acknowledge digital transformation as the real challenge; and three, look to Millennials as the solution to understanding their behavior with digital.” — Crystal Kadakia, author, The Millennial Myth; founder, Invati Consulting; TEDx Speaker
“I recently read that 70 percent of people don’t connect with what they do for a living. Since just about everybody I know is working 50 hours a week, that means that for 60 percent of your life, you’re either asleep or unhappy. I feel like that’s a wasted life.” — Dan Frey, partner, GiANT Worldwide
“You want to include your employees in the strategic decisions that affect them. It’s about trust; it’s about showing respect to your people. Allow them time to debate the assumptions and to bring them into the decision so it’s not just thrown at them.” — Elba Pareja-Gallagher, founder, ShowMe50.org; director of finance, global B2C strategy, UPS
“One of the key ways that has been successful for us [in developing employee engagement] is collaboration. We bring people in from other accounts or even other parts of the business to collaborate on one particular idea. Every single person has the responsibility to bring that spirit; that drive and passion. And because of the [small] size of our team, what you bring today can influence what we do tomorrow. “ — Jennifer Garrett, communications strategist and account manager, See.Spark.Go PR firm
“The only foundational reason for why you do what you do is for the sake of the audience. Your audience could be your family; it could be your team; it could be the person in the cubicle next to you…‘For their sake’ means you’re giving yourself away to them. Your gifts, your uniqueness, your talents, your abilities are not meant to be held onto. They’re meant to be given away.”— Zane Stephens, actor/acting coach; Leadercast Now development team member
“Over the years, I’ve realized we don’t give young people enough space to fail. And many times, that’s where unique opportunities are for a lesson learned and then a way forward. If you don’t give people space to fail…if it gets handed to them in terms of a solution, they’re not going to be as good at critical thinking. The space of young people failing and learning and finding ways to be persistent and persevere…that’s where the great lessons are.” — Sandy Welfare, executive director, Women in Technology (WIT)
“It’s just as important to know when to say no, as it is to know when to say yes. Saying yes to those opportunities that will give you a chance to grow and to learn and to demonstrate your abilities; saying no to those opportunities that may stretch you to a point where you can’t deliver on what you promised.” — Ellen Adair Wyche, founder of Womenetics; Women’s Leadership and Programs Expert; owner, The Wyche Group
“Money is not a sustainable motivator. People want money; they also want meaning. Without a higher purpose, your organization is doomed to mediocrity. It’s well documented that purpose drives engagement and profit. The way to a more profitable company is to put purpose, rather than profit, at the center.” — Lisa McLeod, speaker and author, Leading with Noble Purpose
“One of the things we’re seeing with our executive clients these days is this sense of, ‘Is this all there is?’ They want to know, how can I take my career and make it more meaningful? We start by asking three seemingly simple questions: What do I want to do more of? What do I want to do less of? What do I never want to do again? It’s amazing when you take the time to answer these questions; it gives you great clarity in terms of how you want to move forward and where you want to go on the path to what’s next.” — Julie Bauke, founder and Chief Happiness Officer, The Bauke Group
Do you have a favorite leadership quote? We’d love to see it! Post it on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
