TLP179: Control the Controllables

As a leader, you're able to create the conditions where good things happen at your workplace. You can influence the environment in ways where your team can create, innovate, and solve wicked problems. In this episode, Jim and Jan discuss how to address fear, how to cultivate hope and creativity, and how leaders can strive to be better leaders with the scarcity of time we all share. Key Takeaways [3:00] There's a wide spectrum of people out there and with that comes a wide spectrum of internal motivation and what incentivizes them. [5:00] With that being said, people are also completely different at work than they are in their personal lives. [5:55] So what can leaders do if they see someone who is fearful at their job? The best thing to do is to look at yourself. How do you react when your staff presents you with new ideas? How do you react when there is a major failure in the company? As a leader, your reaction shifts the entire culture of a company. [11:15] If we are just a victim of the world around us, we are perceived as weaker. We are weaker because we have a lack of options in our lives so we might develop a victim mentality in the workplace. It's important to be active in seeking alternative options, even if you don't plan to take them because it makes you stronger. [17:00] Hope is not a strategy but it is needed in the workplace. Hope is created when people feel like they're in control and that they have multiple options to pursue. [19:55] We need creativity in the workforce but in order to cultivate it, the leader's workforce needs to be relatively happy and stress-free. [22:05] We are very confident that we can read human emotions. In reality, we're really bad at it. [27:55] Leaders are busy. They often don't have extra time to study how to be good leaders, which is why we need to surround ourselves with a good support system that will help keep us accountable. Quotable Quotes "It goes back to how people are incentivized and motivated. The baseline of those things is fear and overconfidence." "Fear doesn't always show up in the form of somebody that looks scared. Fear can show up in someone that's indecisive." "Let's find the optimal solution with the information we have, in the time we have to make it." ~~~~~ ~~~~~ The Leadership Podcast is proud to announce a new initiative with thoughtLEADERS to provide very short podcasts called Chalk Talks. They're bitesize hacks on common (but challenging) leadership issues. Interested in learning more? You can only access the Chalk Talks by subscribing to our mailing list at The Leadership Podcast. ~~~~~ ~~~~~ Strategic Partner Beyond the Uniform offers over 300 free episodes to help military Veterans succeed in their civilian career. This includes overviews of potential career paths, deep dives on necessary skills to succeed, and reviews of other free services that support the military Veteran community. You can find more info at BeyondTheUniform.org. Instagram: @WeStudyLeaders LinkedIn: @TheLeadershipPodcast Facebook: @westudyleaders Twitter: @westudyleaders Website: The Leadership Podcast [email protected]