A Culture of Stretch & Support
If you have used the WiLD Toolkit already with your leaders, you have seen the impact. In a recent impact study on the leaders who have used the toolkit from start to finish, we saw meaningfully and statistically significant change in so many things - they were more convicted, confident, creative, hopeful, patient, supported, effective, open, intentional, courageous, humble, purpose and productive.
Tell Me Your Story - Recovering the Unled and Mismanaged
Throughout my career, especially the last half-dozen years, I have been asked to take on what many refer to as "the hard cases." Other managers have found them difficult to work with, low-performing, frustrated, even hostile. While I am sure that there will be exceptions, thus far, I have actually found every single one of these people to actually be solid employees and eventually significant contributors to the team. The secret, I have found, is how you start the conversation with them and the four words I have found to be most powerful to unlock their potential are, "tell me your story."
10 STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Building a culture in your organization where people are being intentionally prepared to lead requires leaders who have made an intentional commitment to doing just that. Following are ten strategies and specific actions for building and sustaining an organizational culture where leaders are identified, supported, stretched, and developed.
WiLD Leaders Corporate Charter, Culture & Expectations
Want a glimpse into the WiLD Leaders Corporate Charter? Read it here! The team values, leadership presence, our expectations of one another, and what others can expect from us.
The Whole Performance Equation
What would change if we got beyond our fragmented conceptualization of performance as simply winning or getting the job done? Effective execution is absolutely necessary, but isn’t not sufficient on its own to inspire us. Getting the job done and seeing our people as people is what whole performance is all about.
The 10 Scientific Truths of Whole + Intentional Leader Development
What would change if we intentionally prepared a generation of courageous and sacrificial leaders who will bring thoughtfulness, conviction, hope, resourcing, strategic thinking, and deeply rooted care to the institutions and people they serve?
Leading Well Under Pressure - Emotional Self Regulation Guide
Click inside to download a helpful pdf guide!
A Guide for Goal Setting and Habits that Stick
When it comes to goals, some of us love them, some of us hate them.
Personally, I’ve been failing at goal setting since I was a child. It all started on my 6th birthday. My thoughtful parents worked to keep all the kids entertained with backyard games. First up was pin the tail on the donkey. You know the game, you are blindfolded, spun around circles, and released to reunite the paper donkey with a tail. Most of the time you missed and sometimes you "accidentally" pinned your friends or siblings. The game was great but the reward was fleeting.
12 CHANGES THAT HAPPEN WHEN WE GO FROM NOT LEADING TO LEADING
Being in the position of leading is quantitatively and qualitatively different from not, but how so. How is it different? Everything changes for a human being in that role. These statements or transitions are what changes when we begin to think about going forward well.
My Transition from Director of Police Services to WiLD Leaders Intern
A requirement of my graduate program was to complete a field placement which is designed to integrate academic knowledge with practical experience and prepares the student for future training in professional psychology. The first company which came to mind was WiLD Leaders Inc. WiLD Leaders focus on whole + intentional leadership development. I had been watching this company for nearly a year on LinkedIn and decided to reach out to their CEO, Dr. Rob McKenna, who is recognized as one of the top 30 I-O Psychologists alive today. Much to my surprise Dr. McKenna said “yes” to my request and my WiLD journey began.
A Collision of Convictions
Some are suggesting that this 2020 election is maybe the most historically significant election ever. That may be a stretch, and a bit of an egotistical assault on the reality of every other person facing an election over the millennia, but this one certainly has its share of pressure. While sometimes it can be interesting (for a while) to process things causing us pressure that are far outside of our control, I think it’s just as important that we spend enough time processing the impact of pressure on us personally, and the choices we can make that may improve the experience of others - even those we are least likely to embrace.
No Margin for Character
We misunderstand and misuse the idea of character in our business culture because in business, margin drives everything. To go all business for a second, margin is the difference between a product or service’s selling price and its cost of production or to the ratio between a company’s revenues and expenses. Even if you don’t consider yourself a businessperson, that is important to understand because we, as a culture, define something’s value by its margin – by the difference between the cost we pay and the benefit we get.
8 Tips for Encouraging a Reluctant Leader
Who are the leaders or potential leaders around you who are reluctant to take on the role of “leader” or who are reluctantly in the role and might need a little support? We all know them. They are not sure they want to be the leader because they feel under-qualified, under-prepared, introverted, or may have had role models or people in their past who have minimized them or their potential. Reluctance to be the leader isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it could be a strength because they know that the stakes are high for those they lead. Here are eight quick tips for investing in these reluctant leaders.
You Can’t Manufacture Trust
Developing trust and increasing alignment and cohesion is a meaningful goal that requires deep levels of individual and collective change. It doesn’t materialize overnight. Trust is like a muscle that with work will grow in strength and endurance, but if left neglected, will atrophy. Here are five core convictions for how we approach building real, long-term trust with executive teams.
10 Years of Whole Leader Development; Bad Bobby Goes WiLD
It all started with the name Bad Bobby. While that may seem like an unconventional start, it is our lack of convention and desire to see leaders as they really are that is the key to everything we do. The story begins with a confession and a-ha moment. First, the confession. My name is Rob, I am a grown man, and I play video games along with 155 million other Americans. I don’t play every day, but I do enjoy them when I get a chance to play. The fact is that my understanding of video games inspired me to build an online leadership development portal and set of tools that are wholistic, real, and create deep insight and learning for leaders.
My Last Class Tonight…After 25 Years
This moment is a chance to pause, and reflect on my lessons regarding teaching after all these years. To be honest, beyond my students, I have only had one or two mentoring voices speak deeply into my teaching. So, if any of my thoughts encourage even one aspiring teacher, that would be enough. Here is top my 10 list of lessons, in the hours before I teach my last class as a full time Professor. I don’t have all these perfected, but this is what I would have told my younger self.
Re-Formed Leaders
This is not me jumping on the leadership bandwagon. Reform, fighting against the racism, brutal violence, and injustice against people of color that has plagued our country and world will take us making a deeper and more thoughtful investment in the current and next generation of leaders. Leading with compassion, courage, composure, thoughtfulness and a spirit of sacrifice takes incredible fortitude, preparation and support. The next leaders are our friends, family members, and children. Will we make the investment to prepare them well?
Whole Leaders in an Emotional Pandemic
A new reality is upon us. An opportunity - to be our best when it's a bit tougher to do so. The uncertainty of a biological pandemic is likely to impact everything we see, and a host of things we can’t. What we do see around us isn't only a need for further preparation in
One Month on the Job – Practicing What We Preach
Over the past 3 years I have had 12 jobs, which for a freelance writer is probably not that big of a number. I joined the Whole + intentional Leadership Development (WiLD) team to minimize the amount of hours that go into my tax return and because the team and mission seemed exciting and unusual. I have worked with other leadership development programs, however WiLD has an impact that almost looks too good to be true.