Unleashing Trust in Leadership with Dr. Mike Armour

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, the importance of trust in leadership cannot be overstated. As organizations strive for success, the relationship between leaders and their teams plays a crucial role. Dr. Mike Armour, a seasoned expert in leadership development, shared invaluable insights on trust, coaching, and organizational culture in a recent conversation with Evan Hackel. Let’s delve into the key takeaways from this enlightening discussion and explore how trust can be built and maintained within an organization.

The Essence of Trust in Leadership

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Dr. Armour emphasizes that building and maintaining trust requires consistent effort and dedication. He quotes Warren Buffett, who famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 10 minutes to wreck it.” This highlights the fragility of trust and the importance of nurturing it daily.

Dr. Armour explains that every interaction within an organization is akin to a sales call, where individuals continually resell themselves to colleagues and stakeholders. This ongoing process is crucial in establishing and reinforcing trust. Leaders must be aware of their actions and words, ensuring they consistently reflect reliability and integrity.

From Coaching to Mentoring: Developing Leaders Internally

One of the significant aspects of Dr. Armour’s work involves helping organizations develop internal mentoring programs. By fostering a culture where experienced leaders coach and mentor emerging talents, companies can build robust leadership pipelines. This approach not only enhances individual growth but also strengthens the organization’s overall resilience.

Dr. Armour’s book, “Developing Leaders Who Coach,” provides a comprehensive guide for organizations aiming to cultivate a coaching culture. The book distinguishes between coaching, mentoring, consulting, and training, offering practical advice on fostering a supportive environment where leaders can thrive.

Identifying Trust Issues: The Role of Anxiety and Fear

A critical insight from Dr. Armour’s discussion is the link between trust and the levels of anxiety and fear within an organization. High levels of anxiety and fear often indicate that trust is in disrepair. This connection is rooted in our neurological wiring, where the presence of fear can inhibit the brain’s ability to trust.

To gauge the state of trust in an organization, leaders should observe the general atmosphere and emotional climate. Reducing anxiety and fear through transparent communication, consistent actions, and empathetic leadership can significantly enhance trust levels.

About Our Guest

For over 30 years Dr. Mike Armour has helped leaders and executives perfect their professional skills, attain peak performance, and discover new dimensions of satisfaction and fulfillment. A successful author in leadership and other fields, Mike is currently published in over two dozen languages. His writing and coaching are marked by an astute understanding of personal behavior, organizational dynamics, and the process of cultural change.

For those interested in diving deeper into these concepts, Dr. Armour offers a free eBook, “Developing Leaders Who Coach,” which provides actionable insights and practical strategies. To receive a copy, simply email [email protected] with the subject line “Free Coaching Book.”

2024-05-30T22:17:04-04:00May 30, 2024|

Unleashing the Future of Learning: Exploring Extended Reality (XR) with Richard Adair

In a recent enlightening podcast conversation, we had the pleasure of speaking with Richard from the Learning Network, uncovering the dynamic landscape of Extended Reality (XR) technologies and their profound impact on learning and development. From fire extinguisher training to electric vehicle instruction, XR isn’t just revolutionizing industries; it’s reshaping the way we perceive and engage with learning.

Embracing the Reality: XR Technologies Today

Gone are the days of XR being confined to the realm of science fiction. Richard emphasized that XR is not merely a vision of the future; it’s a present-day reality. With XR technologies becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, organizations are leveraging them to drive tangible business outcomes. The conversation highlighted how XR is democratizing training, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional learning methodologies.

From Fire Extinguishers to Electric Vehicles: Real-world Applications of XR

The podcast illuminated a myriad of real-world applications for XR technologies. From optimizing fire extinguisher training to enhancing electric vehicle technician instruction, XR is proving to be a game-changer across diverse sectors. By creating engaging and interactive simulations, organizations are not only improving learning outcomes but also driving cost savings and enhancing safety standards.

Unleashing Learning Potential with Performance XR Analytics

One of the most intriguing topics discussed was the potential of Performance XR Analytics. By harnessing data collected from XR experiences, organizations can gain invaluable insights into training effectiveness, user behavior, and ergonomic efficiency. This data-driven approach enables adaptive learning strategies, enhances curriculum design, and maximizes training outcomes, ushering in a new era of personalized learning experiences.

About Our Guest

Richard is a visionary leader with extensive experience in the learning and development industry. As the driving force behind The Learning Network, Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. With a passion for leveraging cutting-edge technology to revolutionize training methods, Richard has spearheaded initiatives in XR technology, transforming how organizations approach learning. His forward-thinking approach and dedication to excellence have earned him recognition as a trailblazer in the field. Join us as Richard shares insights, strategies, and success stories in this insightful podcast episode.

2024-05-15T10:54:59-04:00May 15, 2024|

Navigating Diversity and Equity Across Borders: Insights from Toby Mildon

Toby Mildon is on a mission to help put the right strategies in place to improve retention, innovation, productivity, profitability and so much more. In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan Hackle and Toby have an enlightening discussion on diversity and inclusion.

Comparing Diversity Discussions: UK vs. US

The definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are remarkably similar in the UK and the US. Toby emphasizes the importance of all three elements for creating a fair society. Diversity includes everyone, inclusion enables full contributions, and equity emphasizes personalized approaches. Toby introduces the iceberg analogy, stating that visible characteristics represent only 10% of our diversity, while the remaining 80% consists of invisible attributes. Understanding this diversity is crucial for creating an inclusive and respectful work environment.

Impact of Bias on Decision-Making

Bias, often automatic and unintentional, significantly influences decision-making, especially in critical situations like hiring or promotions. Toby highlights the importance of being mindful, curious, and challenging assumptions to understand individuals and their strengths.

Six Signature Traits of Inclusive Leadership

Toby shares the six traits identified by Deloitte for inclusive leadership:

  1. Curiosity: A trait essential for inclusive leaders.
  2. Cognizance: Being aware of biases and blind spots.
  3. Courage: Fostering honest, frank, and brave discussions.
  4. Cultural Intelligence: Understanding and navigating different cultures.
  5. Collaboration: Encouraging effective collaboration across teams.
  6. Commitment: A commitment to diversity and inclusion, challenging the status quo.
Inclusive Growth: Good for Business

Toby emphasizes that diverse teams make better decisions, and McKinsey’s reports support the idea that diverse leadership teams lead to more profitable businesses. Inclusive cultures improve creativity, innovation, customer experiences, and employee retention, leading to positive business outcomes.

About Our Guest

Toby Mildon, the founder of Milton Echo Ltd., is a dedicated advocate for fostering inclusive cultures within organizations. With a wealth of experience, Toby collaborates with clients to drive positive change, improve productivity, and create environments where everyone feels valued. For more information about Toby Mildon and his work, visit Milton Echo Ltd.. Connect with Toby on LinkedIn, where he shares valuable content regularly.

2024-01-29T17:36:23-05:00February 21, 2024|

Nurturing Psychological Safety: Unveiling Workplace Insights with Mehmet Baha

His full name is Mehmet Baha and everyone calls him Baha. Since his childhood, he has been fascinated by the question: “How can I make a difference in the lives of people?” His interest led him to win a scholarship from Fulbright and finish his master’s in the USA on the topic of Conflict Resolution.

In this episode of Training Unleashed, hosted by Evan Hackel and proudly sponsored by C-suite TV, listeners are treated to an engaging exploration of psychological safety in the workplace.

Understanding Psychological Safety

Evan Hackel kicked off the conversation with a fundamental question, asking Mehmet to demystify the concept of psychological safety. Mehmet’s enlightening response highlighted psychological safety as the bedrock of environments where employees feel secure expressing questions, concerns, ideas, and even mistakes – an indispensable ingredient for fostering high-performing teams. Mehmet shared insightful strategies for establishing psychological safety, placing a special emphasis on involving employees in decision-making processes. Drawing from a transformative example, he illustrated how traditional organizations can shift decision-making power to frontline employees, fostering a culture of inclusion and agility.

Empowering Employees

Evan steered the conversation towards situations where employees fear making decisions without absolute clarity. In response, Mehmet advocated for organizational awareness, genuine interest, knowledge acquisition, and the application of empowering practices to instigate sustainable change. Mehmet shared his experiences at Facebook, shedding light on the company’s commitment to transparency, open communication, and active employee involvement in addressing challenges. The emphasis here was on fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

Free Resources

The episode drew to a close with Mehmet generously sharing free resources on psychological safety available at solutionfolder.com/free-resources. These resources include eight concise, actionable videos covering various aspects of psychological safety, providing valuable insights for organizations seeking to implement positive change.

About Our Guest

He has lived and worked in Germany, Turkey, Ireland, Guatemala, and the USA with more than 18 years of work experience. Baha was one of the first employees of Facebook in Europe. Throughout his life, he has realized the importance of collaborative work culture in organizations. So far, he has delivered training and given talks in more than 28 countries across 5 continents. Recently, he completed Harvard Business School’s Online Executive Education Programme “Organizational Leadership”. He is fluent in English, Turkish, Spanish, and German. In his free time, he loves to play percussion, travel with his family, and play puzzles with his 5-year-old daughter. His new book “ Playbook for Engaged Employees“ was published in April 2021 and has already been purchased in the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland.

2023-12-07T14:55:31-05:00December 7, 2023|
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