The last year has taught us a lot about listening, connecting, leading and engaging with people during times of high-stress, isolation and remote working. The best leaders, teams and organizations seek out ways to meet people where they are and support forward progress.
SHOW NOTES
1:28 – Jason introduces Season 4 episode 3 of the podcast. Welcome back to the podcast and thank you for listening. We wish to create content that engages your mind and heart and allows you to step back and think and add some positivity to your life. This podcast is about leadership lessons, tips, and ways to manage people, it is an interview with Lachandra Baker, SR Manager of Employee Engagement at Cover My Meds.
2:45 – Jason introduces Lachandra Baker the Senior Manager for Employee Engagement for Cover My Meds. Cover My Meds has to mission to give people the medications they need to live healthy lives. They talk about their favorite cocktails which include a margarita with premium tequila.
6:00 – Lachandra talks about how she grew up in a multi-generational house with her grandmother. Her grandmother influenced her life and how she leads today.
Growing up in a multi-generational household influenced how I lead today.
11:10 – Lachandra talks about how she navigates through these challenging times. Saying, we have to meet people where they are. It can be very tough to separate work and home. As a leader, she says that you must lead by example and give some space to be vulnerable. People might need childcare or more time. It is different now and it is important to be respectful of that.
14:30 – We are still expected to perform at the top level even though all of this and that is hard. People need more to cope in today’s world. Jason asks, what are the conversions needed to help people navigate through these times. What tends to burn people out is when they focus on low-value activities and putting too much energy into them vs high value. The focus needs to be put on high-value activities.
18:10 – Leadership is revealed in crisis. What are the high-value things? What are the low-value things? We have been caught in many low-value things even before a global pandemic. Now is the time to get disciplined and to focus but it takes us all working together and communicating. Set the temperature, set your thermostat.
20:13 – Together is the keyword. When you engage your team and ask them to work together, the process makes them stronger by everyone having a voice. Engagement is higher and they become proud of working together.
21:35 – What engages people is to involve them. Right now in the world what has been revealed is that it is about connections rather than divisions. How do we build connections rather than divisions?
23:11 – Lachandra talks about her team and how she talks with the team so that they are all engaged together. Sharing is caring. When you take the time and you stop and you say, “I’m going to share something with you, would you share something with me?” We are in this life together and we are different but we are also the same. Stop dividing and start uniting. Sharing what makes you afraid and what makes me afraid builds trust and is needed in society as well.
25:25 – So many different kinds of people are coming together now and that is important for all of us to come together. To seek connections with one another.
27:20 – What is your mission that is greater than you? The great equalizer was everyone working from home. People have to balance so many things but we have cats and dogs and kids and we all better understand each other because of that too.
29:20 – If you didn’t think that developing your people, your team wasn’t important before 2020, you certainly understand that now. The future of leadership is about being open and inclusive. We have to connect and intentionally seek solutions together. We can’t be afraid to make mistakes either. Perfection is a fallacy, excellence is always achievable. You can always be excellent you will never be perfect. What does excellence look like?
31:40 – A discussion about making mistakes and that it is okay to make mistakes but to strive for excellence.
Perfection is a fallacy, excellence is always achievable. You can always be excellent you will never be perfect. What does excellence look like?
Feel more empowered & more encouraged to stand in your own authenticity.
If you like the podcast, have a question, or just want to share your thoughts about daring to begin please leave a comment below or please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
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ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.