Do you lead like Carmy or Logan?

Written By Jim Batz

Welcome to The Human Skills Academy.

Welcome to the launch of my new consulting company called The Human Skills Academy (and inaugural post of our blog, Impractically Speaking) where our quest is to prioritize and cultivate genuine human connection skills one conversation at a time.

Why Read Our Blog?

Whether you want to learn how to better communicate up, down or across, this blog is for you. Every other Wednesday it’ll be your compass through the vast landscape of everything communication skills, offering invaluable insights and tips, and shining the light on the role they play in every facet of our lives.

But, before we start, my goal is for these blogs to be SHORT and optimize self-discovery every time!

…and each one to include:

  • Quick Point: 1-Minute Learning Point

  • Do This, Not That: Binary Teaching Moment

  • Brief Tale: A story you can take into your own world

  • What Else: Some of my favorite Articles, Podcast Episode, Scene, Quote and Book since last time

  • What’s Next: And a glimpse at the following upcoming post

    Would love your thoughts and comments in LinkedIn.

So, here we go…(sorry, the preamble, it won’t happen again) ._____________________________________________________________________________________

Quick Point:

So, let’s begin…Are You Carmy or Logan, huh?  Ever notice how nothings about communication, until it is…which is almost always immediately. Two things are true. First, the effectiveness of how a leader communicates is defined, in large part, by the effectiveness of its followers. Look no further than the Latin meaning of ‘Communicate’ which is ‘to share and make common’.

John Maxwell once said: “A leader without followers is just a person taking a walk.”

But is it only about words?

Two of my favorite shows over the past year have been Succession and The Bear because you can sit and just marinade in not so much what is being said, but what is not.

Now for you.

Curious if you ‘typically’ lead in a way that leans towards Logan Roy of the TV show Succession, or that of Carmy from the TV show The Bear? And, what kind of leader are they? (including tips on what to do if you work for one), take our free ‘Are You Carmy or Logan Assessment’ here:

Take it a step forward and watch our YouTube video illuminate the points by seeing Logan and Carmy in action…as well best practices moving forward (or click the thumbnail pic below:).

Do This, Not That

We are human which means we a full of anomalies that don’t lend themselves to compartmentalizing us very well into a specific leadership styles 100% of the time. And although all the characters in Succession exchanged artificer insults worn their like armor, if you found in the assessment you tend to lead like Logan Roy, note, there are times and situations where this might be the right club in your bag. But, not often. Instead, how can we flex to be Logan here or Carmy there when needed?

  • Instead of reflecting the Golden Rule: ‘Treat others as YOU want to be treated.’

  • Instead, try the Platinum Rule: ‘Treat others how THEY want to be treated.’

Brief Tale

I worked for one of my favorite leaders for only a second. He had his team to his home in Santa Cruz once, and I noticed a simple, yet powerful, sign on his refrigerator that read, "Build up or tear down?" Whenever his children engaged in quarrels, he would gently guide them back to the sign, emphasizing the importance of reflecting positive intentions.

If communication skills are the key, trust is the lock. And people often measure their trust in you by first predicting your presumed intentions.

Below, is a link to a recent Podcast I listened to by Buddhist Monk, Pema Chodron where she speaks to the importance of ‘intent’. She says, “Think of your last dispute with someone (you almost hate...and ask yourself, did you show up to the conversation with the intent to bring out their best…or their worst?” That punched me in the gut.  

What Else?:

Here are a handful of my favorite communication discoveries from the past month:

What’s Next? 

My plan is to publish this blog every other Wednesday and to align these to free monthly webinars I’ll be hosting. However, since our first webinar is not until June, I need your help.

What would you like to see in the next blog? I am leaning toward one of the three ideas:

  • How to communicate like AI.

  • Why is everyone (else) always smiling?

  • Storytelling like Ted Lasso to drive everyday conversations.

About Human Skills Academy

Whether you seek to cultivate harmony within teams, refine your presentation prowess, craft compelling narratives, navigate organizational change, or bolster the skills of emerging managers, rest assured, we are here to facilitate the transformation of your aspirations into tangible impact. Together, through facilitated trainings, original content webinars, and 1:1 coaching, let us forge a path towards enduring success and fulfillment.

  

Jim Batz https://www.thehumanskillsacademy.com
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