When teaching or coaching emerging leaders, one topic I push hard on is values. Values refer to the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that define what an individual, organization, or community stands for. These principles act as a moral and operational compass, influencing behavior, decision-making, and culture. They are part of the magic three: mission, vision and values.
Reflecting on the recent election, the Harris campaign's lack of a clear and compelling vision became evident in contrast to Trump’s well-communicated stance, making it challenging for voters to see her future for America. Drawing from the change formula, a successful campaign requires acknowledging dissatisfaction, defining a visionary goal, and setting clear steps toward achieving it—elements that were more apparent in Obama’s 2008 campaign, where “hope and change” aligned with voters' aspirations and activated widespread engagement. Ultimately, the Harris campaign's struggles highlight the need for leaders to craft a vision that resonates powerfully and unites people around a shared purpose, as fear alone can often overshadow hope if it lacks sufficient clarity and preparation.
As Election Day 2024 nears, reflecting on Abraham Lincoln’s legacy offers valuable insights into adaptive leadership, resilience, and unity. Known for his humility, conviction, and strategic flexibility, Lincoln showed how true leaders use disruptions to inspire lasting change. This election, we can look to Lincoln’s example of courage and empathy, guiding us to face challenges boldly and strive for a united future.
Conflict at work is inevitable, but with the right tools, it can become an opportunity for growth. In this post we explore how leaders can guide teams through conflict by understanding how the brain processes emotions through the downstairs, middle room, and upstairs functions of the brain.
Belief-behavior conversations, as we discussed in our e-book: Revitalize and Retain Staff, aim to address the root causes behind actions, rather than merely correcting surface-level behavior. Pixar’s leadership used this approach to facilitate open, meaningful dialogues, helping the team uncover the underlying beliefs fueling their actions. Once these beliefs were identified, leaders guided team members toward reframing them, creating lasting behavioral change.
Matt Harrington, author, speaker and trainer on workplace generations will be a featured speaker at Zendesk's Relate Live NYC conference on October 23-24, 2017. The conference will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Harrington will speak on how the best brands build trust and credibility with the Millennial generation (1980-2001).
Matt will shed light on some new and innovative ways to build a strong workforce for the future on September 9, 2016, from 9 am to 12 pm at the Western Carolina University at Biltmore Park in Asheville. For more information, or to register visit www.pdp.edu, or call 828-227-7397. Seats are limited and there is an early-bird registration discount through August 1, 2016.
On Friday, September 18th at 8:00am the Hudson-Mohawk Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (formerly American Society for Training and Development) will host Matt Harrington, author, trainer and speaker at an event that focuses on organizational learning and preparing for the new “social” worker.
Author and generational expert Matt Harrington will be presenting at the state SHRM conference entitled HREvolution: Change Tomorrow Today on Thursday, September 10th in Burlington, Vermont. Harrington’s presentation, Building the New Workplace that the Next Generation Demands: Key Ways We Can Transform Our Organization for the Future Workforce, will focus on strategies to utilize an organization’s aging workforce and develop skills to prepare for the new workforce.
