Simon Koerner

Dear Leaders, if 80% of people work harder when they feel more appreciated, it is not about whether you work on recognition, but how!

Saying “thank you” doesn’t hurt you - but not saying “thank you” can hurt others. So, No brainer!

Start asking yourself the following questions as a leader:

💡What does recognition mean for me (e.g. mainly monetary)?
💡 What do I usually recognize my people for (e.g. doing their job, over-performing, learning new skills)?
💡 My people might expect very different recognition elements: Have I ever asked what they need to feel appreciated?
💡 Does my company have a recognition program I can use elements from?


And then take genuine and frequent action to build an environment of recognition:

1️⃣ Take the input from your team seriously and be as close to expectations as possible.
2️⃣ Recognize people based on specific results and behaviors - in 1:1 situations but more in the broader team. It helps appreciate the right behaviour and results more broadly.
3️⃣ Empower your people deliberately to then recognize their own decisions and ways of achieving results.
4️⃣ Recognize your people unexpectedly, it is more powerful.
5️⃣ Implement ways of top down (from your manager) and peer to peer recognition.
6️⃣ Make saying “thank you” a natural part of everyday work in the team an beyond.

If you establish a culture of recognition, you will also affect people in a way that might be new to you: Recognition has a physiological impact on performance. Oxytocin is the well-known “love hormone.” Our bodies create Oxytocin when we feel loved or appreciated.

#recognition #selfawareness #emotionalintelligence

Image Justin Wright based on research by among others #greatplacetowork

Communication is key. No matter what! Bringing your message across is not always easy! Here are 10 things to consider…

A main cause for #communication issues and misunderstandings is: we all have our own reality, as we see the world through our own eyes and our own experience.
The perspective on the same situation might be very different from another person’s view.

Have that in mind next time, when people don’t understand (yet) what you are trying to say. They can only see it from their view and with the experience they’ve made.

Be patient with you and with others and try the following:

1️⃣ Be clear about the purpose of your message.

2️⃣ Be direct in your message and kind in your delivery.

3️⃣ Have vivid examples/stories that are woven into your message to make a point.

4️⃣ Prepare for your audience, their views/experiences and shape your message with their frames of reference.

5️⃣ Ask your audience questions to better understand where they are coming from -listen to understand, not to respond.

6️⃣ Frame your opinions as suggestions. “I wonder if it would work to do it this way.” Give people the space to disagree with you.

7️⃣ Don’t let negative emotions get in your way to bring your message across - have the operator mentality in mind: think (calm yourself down) - press the button - speak.

8️⃣ Don’t use 10 words when one will do.

9️⃣ Repeat your message: it is when you get tired of repeating it that it starts to land with others.

🔟 Try to stay authentic and true to your values

Anything missing?

Which one would you see most important for an effective and successful communication?

#perspectivematters #personalgrowth

Image: creator unknown

Leading people is a constant journey… of adapting, developing and improving your leadership behavior.

Just because people hold a leadership position does not mean they know how to lead effectively and how to grow people.

And just because people have been successful in leadership positions over years, does not mean they are immediately successful in leading every new team they take over.

Sustaining #leadership success requires a very good understanding of yourself and what has made you a good leader up until now… and in which context.
But it also requires enough self-awareness to know that every team and in fact every new team member changes the way you need to look at your own behavior and what you need to change to stay effective as a #leader.

The best way to raise #selfawareness and to stay effective is to ask the people that very much help you being an effective leader: YOUR TEAM.
They know exactly, what makes them strong and which roadblocks to break down.

Even if they tell you, that you have done a lousy job up until now. It raises your understanding of where to further improve and grow to become an effective leader.

#peoplefirst #effectiveleadership

Graphic: Chris Kelley

The difference between success and stagnation is simple... and it's not luck...

It’s the willingness to try one more time.

Be the person who dares to believe in the power of another try:

➡️ After failure, reflect and learn. Growth happens with each setback.

➡️ After frustration, stay persistent. Perseverance builds strength and resilience.

➡️ After disappointment, keep hope alive. Belief in new beginnings fuels progress.

➡️ After exhaustion, rest and recharge. Self-care sustains your journey.

➡️ After heartache, allow yourself to heal. Healing opens doors to new opportunities.

➡️ Muster the courage to believe. Courage leads to new and better outcomes.

➡️ Be the person who still tries. Each attempt is a step closer to success.

Remember: it is not about the way you fall, but the way you get up again. Make sure you surround youself with people who lift you up every time you need it.

Keep moving forward - you got this!

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Inspired by Steven Bartlett

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Leadership is not only about managing business and people, but to lead and grow both. Effective leaders do that by regularly challenging the status quo.

Important to understand as a leader:
you are also always part of the status quo yourself.

For many leaders it is easier to challenge structures, processes or business models, but never easy to challenge their own behavior and mindset - which can also maintain the status quo.

Having leaders that never want to be challenged by their people kill growth, #change, innovation and ultimately the way forward - for business and its people.

#selfawareness #emotionalintelligence #leadership

Quote: John C. Maxwell

Imagine having a different perspective on your best excuses to not change... it would mean you have shifted your mindset to embrace change.

Here’s the reality: Excuses to not change may feel safe, but they’re only holding you back. The reasons people give to resist change are often just stories they tell themselves to stay comfortable.

Let’s break down 20 excuses — and how to reframe them so you can take charge of your growth.

1. “I’ve never done it before.”
➡️ Try it once. You might surprise yourself with what’s possible.

2. “Nobody else has done it.”
➡️ Then be the first! Pioneers make history.

3. “I tried it before.”
➡️ Lessons learned. Now try again, better equipped.

4. “Another person tried it and failed.”
➡️ Their journey isn’t yours. Your results can be different.

5. “It won’t work for anyone.”
➡️ Let go of that belief. Innovation proves us wrong every day.

6. “It can’t be done.”
➡️ Rewrite that story. If others can, why not you?

7. “I don’t have the money.”
➡️ Start with what you have. Resourcefulness over resources.

8. “I don’t have the abilities.”
➡️ Skills are learned. Practice until you do.

9. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
➡️ Growth is lifelong. Age is not the limit, mindset is.

10. “Change isn’t my thing.”
➡️ Growth isn’t “a thing,” it’s the way forward.

11. “It’s a waste of energy.”
➡️ Growth fuels itself. Start small.

12. “It’s not my problem.”
➡️ Take ownership. Change begins with personal responsibility.

13. “You’re right, but…”
➡️ Every “but” is a block. Swap it for “how.”

14. “I’m not ready for it.”
➡️ Start before you’re ready. The right time is now.

15. “It needs more thought.”
➡️ Think less, do more.

16. “I can’t take the chance.”
➡️ Growth lives on the other side of risk.

17. “I’d lose money on it.”
➡️ Sometimes you gain more than you lose.

18. “It takes too long to pay off.”
➡️ Success is worth the wait. Invest in yourself.

19. “It needs sleeping on.”
➡️ Action beats hesitation every time.

20. “It’s impossible.”
➡️ Until someone like you makes it possible.



Remember: Don't wait for change to happen to you. Make change happen for you.


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Inspired by E.F. Borish
Quote by Lori Deschene

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People drive business, people have emotions… hence, business is also about people’s emotions. Even if many leaders don’t want to hear it.

And there comes a power with emotions that can go into a wrong direction by just ignoring them…

And leaders play a vital role in the workplace, influencing whether emotions unfold in a positive way and get channeled, so that team members are

✅ more attached/committed to the team
✅ better in solving problems/conflicts.
✅ more engaged
✅ less stressed
✅ inspired

Directing emotions into a positive direction requires understanding, dealing with and channeling emotions in the workplace (also their own ones):

1️⃣ Acknowledge the many different emotions, and be aware that those can happen in the workplace - if not with you, then with your team members.

2️⃣ Acknowledge that hiding, surpressing or ignoring emotions can have an impact on a person‘s well being and performance.

3️⃣ Recognize your own emotions and don‘t ignore them or shut them out. Be self-aware, monitor and understand your emotions, and what triggers them when interacting with others.

4️⃣ Regulate your emotions (positive and negative), as they can distort decision-making, communication, collaboration, and many more daily interactions.

5️⃣ Understand perspectives and emotions of others by practice active listening to understand, not to respond.

6️⃣ Acknowledge that you as a leader are triggering emotions in others with your behaviour. Be self-aware and courageous enough to ask and understand how - to adjust your behaviour.

7️⃣ Be open to discuss emotions, why they are there; and coach your people so they can deal with their emotions as well as you have learned to do it as a leader.

#selfawareness #emotionalintelligence #leadership #emotionsmatter

Image credit: Victoria Repa

How many people in your team would answer the statements of the employee value pyramid in a way they can be seen as inspired?

You can have an engaged and committed team, which is still missing the more emotional state of being inspired.
Your engaged and committed team members are working hard, but most likely are missing the final, emotional push for high performance - #Inspiration.

Leaders’ #purpose and #meaning to come to work everyday, might not be the same for their team members…

So leaders, don’t miss to ask, listen, understand and then create an environment for your team members, where purpose and meaning is a key element.

#team #peoplefirst #bainandcompany

Should #emotions really have no room at the workplace?

Leaders who think that therefore completely miss to identify, understand, deal with and speak to emotions of their team members, for greater team success.

As organizations and teams are usually made of and made for human beings, emotions are a big part of what leaders need to focus on.

Shutting this out, neglects the fact that emotions are found in, and can positively affect almost every situation at work: collaboration, decision making, #teamwork, initiating change, performance judgement, conflicts - to name a few.

If leaders understand that emotions do not block performance, but can actually positively drive it, their behavior towards their team members will change drastically.

✅ Let’s not suppress emotions at work!
✅ Let’s not see emotions at work as something disturbing!
✅ Let’s not see emotions as something weak!

In the end, people will not remember you for what you said or did, but how you made them feel.

#leadership #peoplefirst #emotionalintelligence

Graphic: Jason Kaplan

Effective leadership has nothing to do with the position or title a leader holds.

#Leadership is a behavior portfolio, which gets strengthened along a journey of growth and influence.

Leaders’ effectiveness is strongly defined by their “followers” and team members.
Without their support, a leader will hardly be able to deliver results.

Therefore to rise through the levels of leadership, leaders need to keep a few things in mind:

1. Rise above your title, and lead as a person

2. Be strong in #selfawareness and understand how your values, personality and aspirations shape your behavior - and how it impacts other people

3. Listen intentionally to understand the team’s challenges in order to help removing roadblocks

4. Identify and grow further the unique strengths of each team member

5. You work with people, and they bring their full self to work: don’t neglect the complexity of different personalities, emotions and aspirations that shape your team and make or break success

6. Never think you are done learning: everyone can grow at any point in time - just with a different pace and direction


#peoplefirst #teamperformance #emotionalintelligence

If this truth is turned into a mindset and culture in companies, what would change for people, working in these companies?

Companies would not talk about soft skills anymore in a derogaratory, less prioritized way… Because all soft skills would essentially become hard skills for making a company successful.

All people related discussions would become business related, and the other way round.

And people related road blocks in an organization, like toxic leadership, missing empathy or recognition and decreased collaboration would automatically be spoken about and solved with relation to company success.

#leadership #emotionalintelligence #peoplefirst #mindsetmatters