Let's Fix Leadership Jen Thornton

We’re all used to the idea of vertical leadership, a leader and their team. Everyone in the group looks up to the boss, and the boss looks up to their boss, and so on, and so on. We understand the hierarchy. 
What many of us don’t expect, as we move up the ladder, is that the higher the climb, the more we must look laterally: other leaders at level, other teams below them. 
A manager who moves to an executive role must start to think horizontally and think vertically. 
It’s not enough to lead your team in a silo; you must now consider the integration of all parts of an organization. 
The higher you go in an organization, the more you have to lead horizontally and also in balance with vertical leadership. You have to think holistically; take into account the needs of the business as a whole, as well as the needs of your own group.
For most people who get promoted into executive roles, this transition can be challenging, especially when you may have to give up some resources — and some ego —to achieve real integration. 
What are the key benefits of horizontal leadership? Why, nothing less than making more informed decisions, learning new things, and contributing in new and different ways, of course. Did I mention that your own team will also reap the benefits of your knowledge building and relationship cultivating? Booyah! 🤠
In this episode, I talk about how vertical and horizontal leadership are two sides of the same coin, a lucky penny in your leadership pocket. 
Four Things To Take Away From This Episode 
Understand organizational priorities and why they matter.
Your success as a leader will hinge on your ability to identify ways to get your team to intersect with the rest of the company. Identify what your group actually needs and doesn’t need and put everything into context with company objectives. 
Learn a little bit about what everyone else does. 
No one likes operating in the dark. Come out of your comfort zone and start making connections between departments, roles, and people. Understand just enough to be dangerous about how the organization functions across all verticals. 
Let go around ego.
This is the time to tap into your sense of the greater good. Yes, you may lose precious talent, time, or budget to some other more urgent need, but if you can frame it from a global perspective no one will take it personally.
Get comfortable with curiosity, challenge, and conflict. 
The ability to have frank, honest conversations in a no-drama zone is a skill you can improve with practice. Look for opportunities to challenge your peers, ask questions, and coach peers into shifting perspectives. The more you communicate effectively and with emotional intelligence, the more acute your understanding of the board, the game, and all of the players.

Are you the kind of leader who demands innovation from your team, but kill new ideas through your language? 
Being an idea killer only stifles creativity and makes it really hard for people to have the kinds of conversations that move an organization forward. 
How do we become leaders that welcome innovation and give it a comfy and roomy seat at the table? 
In this episode, you’ll learn what stunts innovation, and how to change it with one sentence…. “I don’t see it, but change my mind”.
Three Things To Take Away From This Episode
Spark innovation through conversations
With one simple statement, create a conversation that inspires today and in the future.
I don’t see it, but change my mind
Instead of shooting down ideas and discouraging people, use this one simple statement to encourage thought and innovation.
Not a great idea? How do you say it without discouraging future ideas?
We don’t have to like every single idea people share with us, how do we say no in a constructive way?

For better or worse, the language we use as leaders creates the world our people work inside of. Based on what we say, we can make them feel like they’re on a winning team or a losing team, especially on long-term projects.
Our teams need to feel like they are winning in some way every day, and if we’re not allowing them to celebrate the smaller milestones, success will always feel out of reach.
So how do we create a winning environment through our words? In this episode, I’m talking about using our language to build our teams up and keep them marching forward -- together.
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
How to create winning energy
​The work is the same, but your language creates the energy.
How to make people feel like winners even when the finish line is out of sight
​Before we jump into the next stage of a long-term project, why do we need to create room for reflection and celebration?
How to prevent burnout and overwhelm
​Let the team celebrate over time, so they can build up evidence of success.

To download the free worksheet accompanying this episode, visit https://304-coaching.ck.page/1c7e31eac7.

Perfectionism might seem like a benign or even a positive trait to bring to work, but it does more harm than good. It holds us back from our best work, hinders creativity, and when it spreads to our teams, it kills all innovation and productivity.
If it feels like the world will crumble if you don’t do A++ work every single day or if you’re hyper-focused on getting every tiny little thing right, remember that perfectionism is only a tool of fear.
How do we move past perfectionism, and lead people who struggle with it? In the first episode of Let’s Fix Leadership, we’re digging into the neuroscience behind perfectionism and how to eliminate it.
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
The pursuit of perfectionism is unproductive 
Can perfectionism ever coexist with innovation and progress? 
One question to combat perfectionism 
Perfectionism is rooted in the fear of the worst-case scenario. How do we challenge it?
The dangers of perfectionist leadership 
How can perfectionism hurt an otherwise great team?