Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

'#6 Seek the Unique - When meeting someone for the first time, ask questions to identify something that is both unique and positive about them. Doing this will make you more likely to remember them and what differentiates them from others. While teaching a leadership seminar in Boston, a participant from the American Red Cross told me that Elizabeth Dole, the former president of the Red Cross, practiced this and Ms.

Seminar 326

Seminar Teamwork Team Building Participative 326

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 8, 2013

'When you communicate a memorable vision phrase that matters, the people you lead will be more motivated to help achieve it. Recently I was helping run workshops on leadership at Texas Christian University (TCU), a university of just under 10,000 students based in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU is one of the hottest schools in America. It receives around 20,000 applications a year for 1,800 freshman openings.

Motivation 326

Motivation Supply Chain Workshop Learning-by-Doing 326

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 11, 2013

John Sexton, the president of New York University, is been aggressively expanding NYU at home and abroad. Now the faculty of NYU’s largest school, Arts and Sciences, have scheduled a no-confidence vote on Sexton. An article in yesterday’s New York Times entitled “ A Test of Leadership at NYU ,” described the no-confidence vote as coming about because dissident faculty felt Sexton was acting like a maverick CEO.

Travel 311

Travel Article CEO Process 311

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 24, 2013

'#8 Develop the Habit of Emphasizing Positives - Psychologist John Gottman first observed that marriages were less likely to survive when the positive/negative ratio of interactions dipped below 5-to-1 (i.e. five positives to every negative). More recently the psychologist Barbara Frederickson found that a ratio of 3-to-1 applied in the workplace. Human beings need affirmation and recognition so get in the habit of looking out for ways to affirm and serve others.

Positioning 296

Positioning Examples Development 296

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 8, 2013

'#10 Introduce People with Affirming Statements – When you make introductions, get in the habit of making a positive comment about the person. The positive comment must be genuine, however. As they say in the southern U.S., “it can’t be Saccharine… it has to be real sugar.” For example, you might introduce Tom by saying “I’d like you to meet Tom.

Engineering 294

Engineering Positioning Examples Leadership 294

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 24, 2013

'Stress is harmful to your health, right? Not always. In this TED Talk, Psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains how viewing stress as a positive actually reduces the harmful effects of stress on your body. Reaching out and connecting with others during stressful times further reduces the harmful effects of stress, and can actually shield the body from potentially lethal damage.

Stress 291

Stress Information Positioning 291

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

'During World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt traveled to Seattle, Wash., to meet with 18,000 aircraft workers at Boeing Corporation.FDR brought with him a young airplane pilot named Hewitt Wheless from Texas. The pilot had escaped death, thanks to the resilience of the bullet-riddled B-17 plane he flew out of harm’s way. His plane had been built at that very Boeing plant.

Motivation 286

Motivation Workshop Learning-by-Doing CEO 286

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

'Who experiences greater levels of stress: management or employees? Managers seem to think they do, but hard research data makes it clear: Employees experience greater stress, and that affects the company’s bottom line. It doesn’t have to be that way: Effective leaders can create an organizational culture that reduces “killer stress” and encourages “challenge stress,” which produces gains in productivity and performance.

Stress 281

Stress Bottom-up Reputation Motivation 281

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 1, 2013

'#9 Recognize and Affirm Grit – Psychologist Angela Duckworth found that affirming people’s day-in-and-day-out passion, work effort and perseverance helped them develop “grit,” a form of tenacity that makes them more effective workers. Be sure to talk about grit, to look for signs of it in others and affirm them for it. This is the ninth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Morale 278

Morale Productivity Products Leadership 278

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 26, 2013

'Check out this Atlantic article about Harvard professor George Vaillant re-visiting the research from his study of human thriving, which happens to be the longest longitudinal study on the topic. Vaillant’s study concludes that happiness comes from experiencing love in relationships over the course of one’s life. To learn more, I encourage you to read the fascinating article entitled “ What Makes Us Happy?

Positioning 278

Positioning Article Course 278

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 15, 2013

'Here’s additional evidence that Connection Cultures help students thrive. Many students today are struggling with stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression. Tragically some students lose hope and commit suicide. A recent report by entitled Connectedness & Suicide Prevention in College Settings concluded: ”in the wake of repeated suicide and suicide prevention efforts we have learned [a] valuable lesson: we should not be preventing suicide.

Stress 268

Stress Report Commitment 268

Michael Lee Stallard

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Recently, I’ve sensed more people feel lonely and left out at work. With years of layoffs, those who remain carry greater workloads. This crowds out time to connect with colleagues. Managers are also stretched and have less time to connect with the people they are responsible for leading. When I ask people at the seminars I teach which element of a Connection Culture — Vision, Value or Voice — they would like to increase in their workplace culture, it’s nearly always

Cacioppo 268

Cacioppo Seminar Health Care Learning-by-Doing 268

Michael Lee Stallard

OCTOBER 7, 2013

'David Burkus’ new book, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas , is among the best business books I’ve read this year. It provides a valuable review of research and practices related to the process of innovation. It’s impossible to read The Myths of Creativity and not come away with new, useful practices that will improve your ability to innovate.

Innovation 259

Innovation Constraint Creativity Review 259

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 15, 2013

'Since today is Bastille Day, I’m posting the chapter from Fired Up or Burned Out entitled “French Hero of the American Revolution.” The subject of the chapter, Lafayette, was a key figure in both the American and French revolutions and by his action he helped create and sustain Connection Cultures where cultures of dominance or indifference formerly existed.

Gilbert 257

Gilbert Letter Commitment Learning-by-Doing 257

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 26, 2013

'#13 Practice Five Minute Favors – In his excellent book Give and Take , Wharton professor Adam Grant advocates the practice of “five minute favors,” i.e. you should be willing to help anyone if it takes only five minutes. Grant argues that helping others connects them to us and helps develop a supportive network. This is the thirteenth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Books 255

Books Development 255

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 23, 2013

'Connection is the bond among individuals in a group that moves them to care for and help the group and its members. The power of human connection to unite, inspire and heal has been on full display of late in West, Texas; Boston; and at the NCAA men’s basketball final. To learn more, check out the articles below. West, Texas’s Small Town Values — and People — are Anything But Small ( USA Today ).

Bond 255

Bond Sports Article Power 255

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 26, 2013

'Oftentimes how a leader reacts in a crisis shines a light on his or her values. Ratan Tata, head of the Tata Group of companies, showed he valued employees and their families as human beings following a terrorist attack on the Tata-owned Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Mumbai, India on November 26, 2008, six years ago this week. Mr. Tata had dependents of those employees who were affected flown to Mumbai and housed for three weeks.

Hotels 252

Hotels Crisis Education Skills 252

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 8, 2013

'A recent announcement by Pfizer caught my attention. The firm is selling its Prevnar 13 vaccine at a fraction of its normal price so that 260 million young children in poor countries will be protected from pneumonia and meningitis. This is a disease that kills 800,000 children annually, nearly all of whom live in poor countries according to the World Health Organization. 800,000 children!

Price 252

Price Media Innovation Resources 252

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 7, 2013

'Jane Dutton of the University of Michigan recommends four ways to listen actively. First, paraphrase by expressing what you heard in your own words. For example you might say, “Let me make sure I’m hearing you correctly. You are saying that you need more financial resources to meet this month’s objectives.”. Second, summarize what you heard. For example, you could say, “if I boil down your points I hear you saying that we have an opportunity to expand our business if we open stores in the Mi

Objective 247

Objective Leadership Development Examples Resources 247

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

'Years ago, a friend told me about a book that would help me understand how to advance my career by making headhunters aware of me and my work. I read the book, applied much of the advice and it made a difference. Promote Yourself , Dan Schawbel’s new book, is one of those difference-makers for Gen Y. Really, its message is relevant to all ages in today’s work environment.

Career 236

Career Self-aware Advice Learning-by-Doing 236

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 15, 2013

'Greenwich High School (Greenwich, CT) was recognized in a New York Times article as a school in an affluent community that’s successfully integrating students from low income families. What the article misses is that a key contributor to Greenwich High School’s success is that it its Connection Culture. The school’s headmaster, Christopher Winters, regularly talks and writes about the importance of connecting students, teachers, administrators and parents.

Workshop 236

Workshop Survey Education Leadership Development 236

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 7, 2013

'Are you working in a “culture of connection” where you feel a sense of connection to your supervisor, your colleagues, your day-to-day job tasks, and your organization’s mission, values and reputation? A connection culture is life-giving as compared to a culture of indifference or culture of dominance that drain the life out of you.

Teamwork 231

Teamwork Reputation Conference Motivation 231

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 15, 2013

'#11 Connect with the Organization’s Core – Remember to make an effort to connect with people who have less power, control and influence because they are the ones who do most of the work when it comes to executing the tasks of your organization. Research has shown that higher status employees pay less attention to those with lower status and they are unaware of it.

Stress 223

Stress Delegation Influence Execution 223

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 24, 2013

'More astute observers who work with the poor see that “poverty is broken relationships” and a connection culture is required to restore human dignity, productivity and prosperity. Check out this insightful piece entitled “ Restoring Broken Relationships ” by Sean Dimond of Agros International. You can also hear echoes of what Sean described in Acumen’s Manifesto.

Productivity 223

Productivity Products Examples 223

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

'#7 Different Strokes for Different Folks - This phrase from the past is true when it comes to connection. People have different predispositions when it comes to their sensitivities to feeling connection or its absence. People also respond differently to actions in terms of whether it makes them feel connected or not. Learn about each person and tailor your behaviors to connect based on what you’ve learned about them.

Advice 220

Advice Tips 220

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 22, 2013

'#12 Connect with the Disconnected - People who are disconnected need our help. Throw them a lifeline by taking action to connect with them. Perhaps you can encourage them with a smile, a kind word, an offer to buy them a cup of coffee or by holding open a door for them. There are hundreds of ways to connect and small things can make a big difference over time.

Stress 207

Stress 207

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 15, 2013

'Click here to view the embedded video. Recently I was speaking at a university about the importance of connection and Connection Cultures to help students, faculty and staff thrive in institutions of higher education. After I spoke, the president of the divinity school came up to me and said I needed to see a great new comedy entitled Warm Bodies. He informed me that the movie is about mummies who are brought back to life by human connection.

Video 207

Video Education Planning Information 207

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 8, 2013

'Click here to view the embedded video. After American and British troops took control of the beaches on D-Day, they got stuck in France’s hedgerow country. Sergeant Curtis Cullen, a former cab driver from Chicago, came up with an innovation that General Omar Bradley, commander of America’s First Army, credited with helping to liberate France.

Teamwork 207

Teamwork Video Innovation Motivation 207

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 23, 2013

'#5 – Say Hi and Bye - When you enter a room and it’s appropriate given the context and number of people present, greet people by name. When you leave their presence, say goodbye. Not saying hi and/or bye, runs the risk of giving someone the impression that you are indifferent to them. (This practice reflects the Connection Culture element of Value.).

Katz 191

Katz Hamel Merchandising Retail 191

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 30, 2013

'Check out technology critic David Pogue’s “ How Ballmer Missed the Tidal Shifts in Tech ” which appeared on the New York Times’ website on August 24. I believe the most relevant question to ask in assessing Ballmer’s leadership and why Microsoft missed the tidal shifts in tech is: did Ballmer and his leadership team develop a culture of control, a culture of indifference or a ” connection culture ?

Venture Capitalist 170

Venture Capitalist Leadership Rogers Open-book 170

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 24, 2013

Like many people today, Erin Callan, the former CFO of Lehman Brothers, slowly slipped into a life where her job was #1, ahead of every relationship in her life. To have sufficient energy to work an exhausting schedule throughout the week, she spent weekends sleeping. Eventually she reached a point where what she did was who she was. When she left her job around the time of Lehman’s demise, she was devastated.

Stress 316

Stress CFO Energy Development 316

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 15, 2013

'#4-Feel Others’ Emotions - Mutual empathy is a powerful connector that is made possible by the mirror-neurons in our brains. These neurons act like an emotional wifi system. When we feel the emotions others feel it makes them feel connected to us. When we feel their positive emotions, it enhances the positive emotions they feel. When we feel their pain, it diminishes the pain they feel.

Power 236

Power Bond Incentives Class 236

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 14, 2013

'In Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do , D. Theodore George, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health, describes a new model for understanding America’s surge in emotional and behavioral disorders. Earlier this year, a report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies found that comparing a peer group of 17 wealthy countries, Americans under 50 now have the lowest life expectancy and fall at the bottom (

Stress 239

Stress Review Books Report 239