Today we dispatched the March edition of our Leadership That Works Newsletter, a curated digest of the best leadership links to read right now, sent at the end of each month. In this month’s edition: how to write better emails, turn ‘what if’ into ‘I can’, questions for every stage of your career, and more. As always, we’re sharing the articles from our newsletter here in case you’re not subscribed to our mailing list. If you like what you see, you can sign up to receive our newsletter here.
Get to the Point
“If principles are going to be used, they have to be easy to remember” writes David Rock in this smart Harvard Business Review piece that applies the tenets of neuroscience to understanding how to better convey ideas to stakeholders. The secret lies in being as pithy as possible. If leaders hope to transform an organization, or a corporate culture, “the more leadership principles get concise, the more you can put them into action.” Read the full piece here.
Don’t Sell; ‘Enroll’ Instead
To get people engaged in your ideas and initiatives at work, it helps to stop trying to sellyour ideas, and instead find ways to enroll people in your ideas, writes Scott Eblin in this useful post. How do you enroll others in your agenda? There are five simple steps that you can explore here.
**For more on earning buy-in, read our post on how to choose goals that inspire your team.
How to Write Better Emails
“When you send an email you are adding a task to someone else’s to-do list” writes Gustavo Razzetti in this helpful Thrive Global post. Because almost everybody you are emailing is struggling to keep up with an overwhelmingly full inbox, you should always consider this burning question: “Why should the other person care about your email?” Writing emails that actually get read has more to do with managing people’s expectations in the subject line than what you include in the body of the email itself. By simply adding one clarifying word to the subject line of your emails, you can get a lot more done and transform the efficacy of your email. Learn exactly how to execute this practice here.
Change Yourself First
If you’re experiencing difficulty influencing others in your leadership role, it can be tempting to spread blame. But as Mary Jo Asmus explains in this interesting post, blame is not very effective in achieving breakthrough. Rather than looking outward for the cause of your roadblock, it can be instructive to examine your own beliefs and identify those that are no longer serving you. To help, Asmus provides four provocative questions as prompts for reflection and self-change here.
**For more exercises that guide you through reflection, explore our first 2 questions of leadership, and the 3 questions the best leaders answer.
Turn ‘What If’ into ‘I Can’
Modern work (and life) can be stressful and, not surprisingly, leaders and employees alike tend to spend a lot of time worrying. But research shows that 85% of what we worry about never actually happens. So, although worrying can feel productive, it’s actually most likely a waste of time. That won’t stop us from doing it though! If we’re going to worry anyway, we might as well learn strategies for doing it more productively. In this highly practical Shine post, Haley Goldberg explains how even simple mindset shifts, like turning “what if” into “I can” can make an enormous difference. Read her top 3 tips for worrywarts here.
Questions for Every Stage of Your Career
Moving forward in your career requires, “deliberate actions – some of which are less than obvious”, writes Anisa Purbasari Horton, in this empowering Fast Company post. To make sure you’re on the right track, “reflection and asking the right questions” is crucial. To help you advance your career in the most fulfilling way possible, Horton has compiled key questions to ask at every single stage of your career. Explore all the questions here.
**For more questions to help you excel in your career, explore our character and competence self-assessments.
Enjoyed these links? Check out our recent link roundups from January and February. Explore our suite of leadership resources here. Or, join our mailing list here.
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